Issuu

LSU FOOTBALL Kiffin defends move to sign NFL players 1C THE

ACADIANA

ADVOCATE

T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M

T u e s d ay, au g u s T 25, 2026

$2.00X

Council accepts grant for Johnston St.

Boulet says redesign won’t repeat University Ave. problems BY CLAIRE TAYLOR

Staff writer

Residents who participated in planning meetings for the redesign of North University Avenue say the completed project differs from what they expected, citing narrow travel lanes, raised medians and limited pedestrian improvements. Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Boulet said once

the project is complete, changes will be made to address residents’ concerns. Now, as Lafayette is eyeing safety improvements along Johnston Street from Bertrand Drive to Churchill Drive, some are raising concerns about a repeat of the unpopular issues created on University Avenue. City Council member Andy Naquin on Aug. 18 was the only council representative to vote against

accepting an $8 million Safe Streets and Roads grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and transferring $2 million in local matching funds to the Johnston Street project. Originally, Naquin said, plans developed for University Avenue after community meetings hosted by the Acadiana Planning Commission did not include raised center

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Motorists travel along North University Avenue on Monday, separated by a ä See COUNCIL, page 4A new raised median.

BACK AT IT

La. GOP endorses Miguez in race for Congress Edmonds calls foul, wants another vote

BY TYLER BRIDGES

Staff writer

A decision by the Louisiana Republican Party on Sunday to endorse state Sen. Blake Miguez over state Sen. Rick Edmonds for a hotly contested Baton Rouge-based H H H H H H congressional seat threw the party leadership into turmoil Monday. Party insiders said that Gov. Jeff Landry, whose differences with Miguez are an open secret in the state Capitol, was hopping mad. An aide said that had more to do with how Miguez won the endorsement. Edmonds and his supporters on Monday called for another vote immediately — one that would either endorse neither candidate or both — but party chair Derek Babcock said that vote, if it occurs, would not happen Tuesday. Miguez won the coveted endorsement on a vote by ﬁve of the eight members of the party’s executive committee, not a vote of the entire party. Winning the party’s endorsement is important for two reasons. The endorsed candidate can trumpet that in his messaging and becomes eligible for money from the Republican National Committee. Miguez requested an endorsement meeting of the executive committee after obtaining a majority of signatures from members of the party’s state central

ELECTION

ABOVE: Students walk to class on the first day of the fall semester at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Monday. RIGHT: University President Ramesh Kollutu, left, helps incoming freshman Cain Layton find his class building after he arrived for the first day of class on Monday. More photos, Page 1B STAFF PHOTOS By BRAd KEMP

ä See CONGRESS, page 4A

Canada to announce retaliatory tariffs against U.S., official says BY ROB GILLIES Associated Press

TORONTO — Canada will announce retaliatory tariffs against the United States on Tuesday, an ofﬁcial familiar with the plans told The Associated Press, escalating a trade fight that has sharply worsened

WEATHER HIGH 94 LOW 78 PAGE 6A

since negotiations with the Trump administration collapsed. The ofﬁcial spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday that Canada may need to move away from matching

U.S. tariffs dollar for dollar and instead use more targeted retaliation aimed at protecting Canadian workers and businesses. President Donald Trump escalated the dispute again Monday, telling Canadian leaders to “fall in line” or face consequences “far WORSE” than tariffs already im-

posed and threatening new 50% tariffs on Canadian vehicles, auto parts and steel. Carney accused Washington of trying to subordinate Canada and said U.S. trade demands had conﬁrmed Canada’s fears that the United States was seeking to dismantle major Canadian industries.

Business ...................10C Commentary ................3B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................4B Living............................5C Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

“An attitude at the negotiation table that Canada is a subsidiary of the United States” is “not something we’re going to accept,” Carney said. Carney was even more blunt in French.

ä See CANADA, page 4A

102Nd yEAR, NO. 56

2A ● Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Sources: Trump moves toward new China tariff

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is moving toward levying a new tariff on China that would penalize the world’s secondlargest economy for flooding the global market with underpriced goods, according to three people familiar with the matter. Two of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations still being finalized, said Trump is considering setting the new tariff at 7.5%. It’s a level administration officials believe would not endanger the one-year trade truce between Washington and Beijing or a planned White House meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to take place in late September. The move, if finalized, appears to be a calibrated effort by the White House to work around a Supreme Court decision earlier this year that struck down Trump’s plan to implement a sweeping, high-tariff scheme not seen since the 1930s. After that decision, the Trump administration announced in March it was launching formal investigations targeting excess industrial capacity and forcedlabor regulations in China and other nations.

Body found of woman suspected in killing

A mental health advocate suspected of killing her police officer husband was found dead Monday, six days after she disappeared from her Massachusetts home, authorities said. Karen Solomon, an advocate who called for improvements and greater awareness of police mental health issues, had disappeared after Worcester Police Officer Kurt Solomon was found dead at their home just before 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 18. Officials had named Karen Solomon a suspect and said she was believed to be armed. “We believe this case is a tragic murder-suicide that occurred,” Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said at a news conference Monday. Two people who worked at Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital reported finding human remains, and officers recovered a woman’s corpse there, Saucier said. A final ID was still pending, but authorities said they were confident it was Karen Solomon. A handgun found near her body was not a Worcester police service weapon, and investigators were working to determine who owned it.

Turkey sentences 5 opposition mayors

ISTANBUL — A Turkish court on Monday convicted ﬁve mayors of municipalities run by the country’s main opposition party on corruption charges in a trial that critics have denounced as politically motivated. The case before an Istanbul court included allegations of bribery, bid-rigging and fraud in relation to municipal contracts. Critics of the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan say the trial targeted the opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and that the prosecution relied on secret witnesses and defendants implicating other defendants in return for lighter punishment. The Turkish government insists the country’s judiciary is independent and free from political inﬂuence. The case focused on allegations that companies controlled by businessman Aziz Ihsan Aktas secured municipal tenders through bribery, bid-rigging and fraud. The opposition, meanwhile, has said that municipalities under Erdogan’s party control that did business with Aktas were not as thoroughly investigated.

CORRECTION A business article Sunday about nonprofit donations by local leaders misstated the geographic reach of Stirling Properties. The company has ofﬁces in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. The Advocate regrets the error.

lll

U.S. unveils new Iran sanctions ‘Economic d-day’ threats become warnings for countries

BY FARNOUSH AMIRI, CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AAMER MADHANI and DIDI TANG Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new round of sanctions aimed at Iran on Monday and warned every country that does business with the Islamic Republic to sever those financial ties or face retaliation from the United States. President Donald Trump’s pledge last week to unleash an “economic D-Day” against Tehran turned out to be new warnings to cut off Iran from the rest of the global economy. Asked why the U.S. was not imposing secondary sanctions on Iran’s trading partners, Bessent told reporters he wanted countries to have an opportunity to shift away from Iran before it was too late. “Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?” Bessent said. The Trump administration is struggling to find an off-ramp nearly six months into an unpopular war with an increasingly obstinate Iran. Diminishing stockpiles of key weapons appear to have forced U.S. officials to pivot to economic warfare, though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said later Monday that he was not ruling out resuming strikes to hit Iran during a lull in hostilities.

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By JULIA dEMAREE NIKHINSON

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrives to speak at a news conference Monday at the Treasury department in Washington. Washington had promised new sanctions would put even more pressure on an Iranian economy already battered by previous penalties and a U.S. naval blockade. But the announcement Monday provided little detail and did not name which countries could face secondary sanctions. China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are Iran’s largest trade partners. “We are level-setting with every country to tell them our expectations. We know who they are. They know who they are,” Bessent said. “So when the hammer of U.S. Treasury actions falls upon them, they will have no one to blame but themselves.” Dubbing the campaign “Operation Economic Outcast,” Bessent said Trump has been “making phone

calls to world leaders with specific requests to cease their interactions” with Iran and has already seen results. The UAE announced last week that it was suspending all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice after a reported missile attack on the Gulf country. Bessent said the UAE decision was “not a coincidence.” Shortly before the announcement, Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the U.S. is not in an economic position to further restrict Tehran’s relations with other countries. “Iran’s trading partners, both in the media and through messages sent to us, have made it clear that they don’t take these statements into account any-

where,” Qalibaf, who has been Iran’s lead negotiator over the past six months, posted on X. Asked whether the U.S. would target China, Bessent said that “no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions,” despite the fragile trade truce in place between the world’s two largest economies. “If they facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem that turns Iranian oil into money, into repression, they will be targeted,” he added. Experts say the U.S. is likely to carefully calibrate its actions on China, just a month before Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to visit the U.S. How much the announcement matters “depends on the aggressiveness with which President Trump is willing to enforce it,” said

Ali Wyne, senior research and advocacy adviser for U.S.-China relations at the International Crisis Group. “Thus far, despite threatening severe economic consequences for countries that do business with Iran, he has largely given China a pass.” The Treasury Department said Monday that it was imposing sanctions on nearly 60 Iran-linked entities, accusing them of roles in Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, cyber activities and oil shipments. That includes Hong Kong-based Sweet Ocean Industrial Limited and associated people and businesses, which were accused of helping Iran acquire sensitive goods such as laser optics equipment. Also penalized was Chinabased Shenzhen Huamei, which is a service provider for the Iran-based logistics company BRE Line, as well as BRE Line’s branch in Hong Kong, for allegedly supporting the missile and nuclear programs. Hours before Bessent’s announcement, Iran’s currency hit a record low. The rial dropped to 2.02 million to the U.S. dollar as trading opened on currency markets. Iran’s ofﬁcial Central Bank rate stood at around 1.5 million rials to the dollar, but the market rate is what most Iranians pay. The currency had already been under pressure before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, as Iran faced double-digit inﬂation and negative growth. The rial has repeatedly hit new lows as nearly six months of war have taken an even greater toll.

Firefighters make progress battling Nev. wildfire BY HAVEN DALY and JOHN SEEWER

They haven’t said whether the Hawk Fire was intentionally set or accidental. Much of the area that burned was sagebrush and grass. Reno, home to about 280,000 people, is known for its casinos and as a gateway to nearby Lake Tahoe, North America’s largest alpine lake and a popular vacation destination. It’s also southwest of

Associated Press

RENO, Nev. — Crews have started to contain a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Reno, Nevada, that destroyed more than 30 homes as it spread perilously close to neighborhoods, officials said Monday. Containment reached 27% and there was no new growth of the Hawk Fire, which has held steady at about 23 square miles since Sunday, authorities said at an afternoon news briefing. “We are making progress,” said U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Matt Zumstein. The number of residents under evacuation orders and warnings was reduced to about 63,000, down from more than 90,000 people over the weekend. However, there’s still concern that winds could push the flames through dry brush into newly developed and densely packed neighborhoods in Nevada’s largest city outside of metro Las Vegas.

IMAGE FROM VIdEO By TIM WALTON

Smoke rises Saturday from active wildfires in Reno, Nev. Schools across Washoe County were closed Monday because of the evacuations and to keep roads clear for emergency crews. Nevada’s governor declared a state of emergency in the county and mobilized the National Guard to help with aerial ﬁreﬁghting and protecting evacuated neighborhoods northwest of downtown Reno. At one roadblock, residents expressed frustration Monday that they could not get back into their homes. “There’s no fire here! Why are the National Guard here?” a driver

yelled. Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said he understands that some residents are frustrated that they can’t get home but the danger isn’t over yet. “It just takes that little breeze and one ember,” he said. The fire near the California state line began Saturday and exploded in size on Sunday. At least six people — three first responders and three civilians — have been injured. This is the third large wildfire in the rugged terrain north of Reno in the past two weeks — all caused by human activity, according to fire officials.

U.S. strikes vessel in eastern Pacific, killing 2 in first attack in months BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN AND BILL BARROW Associated Press

WASHINGTON — After a pause of more than two months, the U.S. military announced Monday that it once again carried out a strike on a vessel in the eastern Paciﬁc Ocean, killing two people accused of trafﬁcking drugs. It brings the overall death toll to 223 people killed in 67 strikes during the nearly yearlong U.S. campaign of bombing alleged drug boats off Latin

America’s Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. U.S. Southern Command says the campaign has resulted in the destruction of 64 speedboats, three “low-profile” ships and a semisubmersible craft. The command said on social media early Monday that forces “executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narcotrafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific.” The military said the strike occurred Sunday, and it marked the first since

powerful back-to-back June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela killed thousands of people. As with most of the military’s statements, Southern Command did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. “We are committed to imposing total systemic friction on narco-terrorists — disrupting their operations, dismantling their leadership, and eliminating cartel terror across the region,” said Gen. Francis Donovan, who leads U.S. Southern Command.

Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, site of the annual Burning Man festival, which begins next Sunday. Many who travel to Burning Man make Reno a regular stop. But some are saying on social media they should avoid the city so they don’t take hotel rooms and other resources away from evacuees.

GET IN TOUCH Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COM or 337-234-0800 News Tips / Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM Obituaries: 225-388-0289 • Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 10-5; Closed Sun Advertising Sales: 337-234-0174 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Classiﬁed Advertising: 225-383-0111 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Subscribe: theadvocate.com/subscribe E-Edition: theadvocate.com/eedition Archives: theadvocate.newsbank.com The Acadiana Advocate (USPS # 25-866) is published daily by Capital City Press, LLC at 203 W. Third St., Lafayette, LA 70501. Periodicals postage paid at Lafayette, LA ISSN 2643-7252 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Acadiana Advocate, Circulation Accounting, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. Newspaper carriers are independent contractors and not employees of Capital City Press.

All home delivery subscription sales are non-refundable. Should you discontinue your subscription during term, the subscription will end with the expiration date on your subscription, and there will not be a refund of a prorated amount. Subscribers who purchased their subscription before Feb. 1, 2023 and wish to cancel can request a refund of a remaining balance at https://www.nola.com/app/forms/refund-request-form/. Refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Capital City Press, LLC or its designee. All subscriptions purchased that include a special edition will have the special edition value deducted prior to any refund provided to subscriber upon cancellation of service. Standard subscription rates may be effective upon renewal. All standard subscriptions include digital access and e-Edition, a digital replica of the printed Advocate edition(s). The apps are free for tablets and smartphones. Smartphone apps may not be supported on all devices. The Advocate standard subscription rate is $80.89 per 4-week period, plus tax. The Acadiana Advocate standard subscription rate is $68.48 per 4-week period, plus tax. Standard digital subscriptions include e-Edition with the rate of $31.15 per 4-week period, plus tax starting 1/1/25. Special editions included in home delivery subscriptions are 1/30/26, 3/11/26, 4/15/26, 5/27/26, 7/8/26, 8/19/26, 9/30/26 11/26/26, 1/22/27, 3/10/27, 4/14/27, 5/26/27, 7/14/27, 8/18/27, 9/29/27 and 11/25/27 and are billed at $6.23 each. The Thanksgiving Day edition will be billed at your regular Thursday rate plus $6.23. To opt out of special edition delivery, email help@theadvocate.com or call 225-388-0395. By opting out of special editions you will not receive that day’s newspaper. Thanksgiving Day is not a special edition and opting out for that edition isn’t permitted. Prices shown are in U.S. dollars. Prices subject to change. Other restrictions may apply. We no longer provide credit for temporary delivery stops of 14 days or less. During a temporary delivery stop donations are made to our News in Education program. This program provides newspapers and digital access to schools across Louisiana. This program is paid for by sponsors and temporary stops so that students may use the newspaper for educational purposes in the classroom. During a temporary delivery stop of the print edition subscribers have unlimited digital access to theadvocate.com, nola.com and the apps for tablet and smartphone. Seasonal delivery times from August 2025 through February 2026 will extend to 8:00 a.m. on weekends. Subscribers may also choose to access our digital replica e-Edition of the printed Advocate, Times Picayune | New Orleans Advocate and Acadiana Advocate only. As a highly valued customer, we also value your privacy. All personal information collected by The Advocate will be used for administration and customer verification; it may be used for promotional purposes in accordance with The Advocate’s privacy policy. Please refer to our policy located at https://www.theadvocate.com/new_policy/ for information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. By providing your phone number and email address you agree that we can call or email you to confirm delivery service, satisfaction and/or sales promotions as they may occur from The Advocate. The Acadiana Advocate: 203 W. Third Street, Lafayette, LA 70501

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ● 3A

lll

wanted: 20 people

Limited Time Offer

WE NEED 20 PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS TO TRY THE LATEST ADVANCEMENTS IN HEARING AIDS!

Your hearing plays a crucial role in your overall health. Untreated hearing loss can affect communication, conﬁdence, and even long term cognitive well being. That's why we're inviting 20 people to experience the newest breakthroughs in hearing technology - completely risk free. Visit us during our August Special Event and receive these FREE services: FREE Hearing Consultation FREE Video Otoscope Exam - Find out if it's hearing loss or just earwax FREE Clean & Check on your current hearing aids FREE Baseline Audiogram Assessment FREE Familiar Voice Test FREE Demonstration of Audibel's Latest Hearing Technology Try it with zero cost and zero obligation

FREE

Limited Time Offerr

Hearing Consultation

Appointments are first come, first served, and every service is 100% free. Simply call one of our offices to reserve your spot.

Audibel is NOW Offering... Government-Wide Service Benefit Plan Member Name

John Doe

Member R0000000 Rx# RxPCN RxGrp

Enrollment Code R0000000 00/00/0000

0000 0000

a pair of Aris AI Hearing Instruments Offer valid on select in-stock 24 level technology. Exclusions may apply.

Limited Time Offer

Effective Date

0000

• Hearing aids at NO COST to those who qualify!• • That’s Right...No Co-Pay! No Exam Fee! No Adjustment Fee! If you have this card, you may qualify for free hearing aids! Call today to verify your benefits.

$ $1000 OFF

CLEAN & CHECK

If you already have hearing devices, receive a free cleaning & maintenance check.

★ LAFAYETTE 105 Westmark Blvd., Ste. 2

337-205-9576

AUGUST 2026 NEW IBERIA

224 N. Lewis St., Ste. C

337-606-7301

★ SPECIAL EVENT ★ AT THESE LOCATIONS Call for details!

★ ABBEVILLE 100 S. Louisiana St., Ste. 300

337-516-0050

LA South Lafayette 8/17 LA South Abbeville 8/18

Complimentary hearing consultations are widely available at no cost.

Amieva, H., Ouvrard, C., Giuloli, C., Meillon C., Rullier, L., & Dartigues, J. F. (2015). Self-reported hearing loss, hearing aids, and cognitive decline in elderly adults: A 25-year study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015 Oct;63 (10):2099 – 104. Doi: 10.1111/jgs.13649. 2Rechargeable option not available in all styles. See clinic for details. 1

©2024 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4/23 Audibel and Audibel logo are registered trademarks of Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Signature Series is a trademark of Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

RECEIVE UP TO

2000

Toward premium technology when you Trade-In & Trade-Up your old hearing aids. *Offer valid on 24 level technology. Exclusions may apply. Cannot be combined with other offers.

4A ● Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

COUNCIL

Continued from page 1A medians. He said the two federal grants the city received required raised medians. Naquin argued accepting the grant for Johnston Street could require the city to incorporate federal safety standards, including raised center medians. He said that could hurt businesses along Johnston Street and make it difﬁcult for emergency vehicles like fire trucks to access businesses and residences. Boulet, former executive director of the Planning Commission, agreed that pedestrian safety was the top concern voiced by residents at public hearings and the plans originally did not include raised medians. In August 2022, under the administration of former Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Josh Guillory, the city received a Federal Highway Administration grant for $12.4 million for the University Avenue project. The project, Boulet said, was designed by Lafayette Consolidated

CANADA

Continued from page 1A “We learned during the negotiations that the Americans want to destroy our major industries, including autos, steel and aluminum,” Carney said. “That was one of the main reasons we said no. It was a bad deal.” The ﬁery words from both sides show how U.S.Canada relations have deteriorated since Carney walked away from trade negotiations with the Trump administration late Friday, trigCarney gering the president’s threatened 50% tariffs the next day on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Carney cast doubt on the U.S.’s reliability as a partner, saying Canada was ﬁnding reliable partners “everywhere in the world, except in the United States. Except in the United States. And Russia.”

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Motorists wait to turn left from the turning lane in the 3800 block of Johnston Street on Monday. Government staff at “a different time, under a different administration.” Construction started on University Avenue in 2024 after Boulet took ofﬁce. At the Aug. 18 council meet-

ing, Boulet assured Naquin that the Johnston Street redesign will not be like the University Avenue redesign. It’s under a new city administration and changes have been made under her leadership, she said.

On Monday, Trump came back with further tariffs, warning that he would impose them on Canada’s auto industry beginning next year. “Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump wrote on social media, criticizing what he called the country’s “ridiculously high tariffs” on American farmers. Carney said Washington’s autosector proposals would gradually have the effect of dismantling Canadian production. “This is the most successful automotive partnership in history,” Carney said, referring to the deeply integrated Canada-U.S.

CONGRESS

Continued from page 1A committee who reside in the Baton Rouge-based 6th Congressional District. Miguez obtained 23 signatures, one more than needed. Edmonds then submitted 25 signatures, including from several party members who had also requested Miguez’s endorsement. The rules allow dual endorsements for the signatures. Edmonds called foul Monday. He said the executive committee should issue no endorsement or endorse both men because both are conservative Republicans who have spent about a dozen years in the state Legislature and because they submitted about the same number of signatures, although Edmonds noted he actually submitted two more. “It is their job not to serve an agenda or a candidate but what is the right thing for the Louisiana Republican Party,” Edmonds, an evangelical pastor who lives in Baton Rouge, said in an interview. In a statement, Edmonds also called for an end to “good ole boy backroom deals.” Miguez did not return a phone call. The owner of an oil ﬁeld services company, he owns a house in Baton Rouge but lives outside of

A design has not been submitted to the federal government for Johnston Street, Chief Administrative Ofﬁcer Rachel Godeaux said. The ﬁrst step, she said, is agreeing to receive the grant, followed by Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@ entering a grant agreement. Then theadvocate.com.

cluding cutting off electricity and critical minerals from Ontario. Critical minerals are increasingly important to U.S. national security and manufacturing. The Pentagon has sought more secure supplies of minerals used in military aircraft, missiles, munitions and electronics as Washington tries to reduce reliance on China, which dominates the mining or processing of several strategically important minerals. Ford said Canada should also consider increasingly severe retaliation if Trump continues targeting Canadian industries, including oil and potash, while Ontario could raise electricity prices or stop sending power south. “We power 1.5 million homes and businesses,” Ford said. “Everything’s on the table. I’ll do whatever it takes.” Ford has used electricity as leverage before. During an earlier phase of the dispute, Ontario imposed a 25% surcharge on electricity exported to Michigan, Minnesota and New York. Trump responded by threatening to double tariffs ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANdON on Canadian steel and aluminum President donald Trump speaks during a back to school event in the before both sides backed away.

Trump attacks Canadian leaders Rose Garden of the White House on Monday. industry. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unleashed his own tirade. In an interview with The Associated Press, he said Trump had underestimated Canadians’ willingness to endure economic pain rather than give in to U.S. pressure. “We’re all in,” Ford said. “Up here, we’re at a fever pitch; everyone’s in for an economic war. They know they’re going to have to sacriﬁce.” Trump responded in a social media post by attacking Ford personally, calling him “the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall

the 6th Congressional District in Erath in Vermillion Parish. He is not required to reside in the district. Both men are competing in a 10-candidate field for an open seat that U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, a Democrat from Baton Rouge, currently holds. Fields chose not to run for reelection after the Republican-majority Legislature in May redrew the district’s boundaries to elect a Republican. All 10 candidates are running in the Nov. 3 open primary. Gena Gore, one of the five Louisiana Republican Party executive committee members who voted for Miguez, said she did so because “he’s the best candidate. He got his required signatures first. He has a reliably conservative record. He’s young. He could represent us for a long time.” Gore, who serves on the executive committee by virtue of being the party’s national committeewoman, added, “That meeting was done in a proper manner. We did everything by the book.” Rick Payton, the party’s finance chair, also voted for Miguez. “I did a lot of research before I cast my vote,” he said. “I felt like my vote was representative of the people in CD6.” The three others who voted for Miguez were Jerry Brouillette, the party vice chair; Roger Villere, the

Auto industry a battleground

unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford,” and once again referring to Canada’s prime minister as “Governor Carney.” Ford dismissed the insults: “If you think an insult from him hurts me? Well, bring it on, buddy, I’m ready.” Ford is a Progressive Conservative whose party differs from that of Carney, a Liberal, but the two underscore broad political unity in Canada over the trade ﬁght with Trump.

Ford accused Trump of not simply seeking a better trade deal but aiming to hollow out Canadian industries and move production south. Ford said Trump wants to make Canada a vassal state. “He wants to bleed out every single sector and bring them down to the U.S.,” Ford said. The auto sector is especially important to Ontario, the center of Canada’s vehicle manufacturing industry. Plants and suppliers in Ontario are tightly integrated with factories in Michigan and other Minerals, electricity threatened U.S. states, with parts routinely Ford said “everything is on the crossing the border multiple times table” if the dispute worsens, in- during production.

national committeeman; and Dexter Duhon, the treasurer. They did not return phone calls Monday. Charlie Davis, the party’s secretary, voted for no endorsement. He declined to comment. Babcock did not vote — the party chair votes only to break a tie — but said he also favored no endorsement. Roby Dyer, a representative of the Louisiana Federation of Republican Woman, was absent. A subplot in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s vote is the relationship between Landry and Miguez. They have known each other since they both worked as aides in the mid-1990s to then-state Sen. Craig Romero, a Republican from New Iberia. Landry oversaw Miguez. Fast forward: When Miguez was elected to the state Senate in 2023, Landry became his constituent because the governor lives in Broussard outside Lafayette. But Miguez angered Landry by posting on X in November 2024 that the governor didn’t have a “clear plan” on how to reduce government spending. “As our conservative leader, he can look to President Trump for example on how to create more efﬁciencies within state government,” Miguez added. Landry shot back about an hour later.

work can begin on a design. Between 2019 and 2021, she said, 514 crashes — pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles — occurred in that stretch of Johnston Street, resulting in one fatality and eight serious injuries. Part of the grant is to add protection to bike lanes, address sidewalks, improve visibility at crosswalks and improve pavement markings. Federal highway safety standards, Godeaux said, offer a suite of safety measures that includes, but does not require, raised medians. Naquin wanted the council to table the matter for two to four weeks to get answers to some of the council’s questions, including whether raised medians will be required if the federal grant is accepted. Four residents supported Naquin’s concerns. City ofﬁcials will begin a series of public hearings in October, Godeaux said, where officials will discuss the Johnston Street project and explain how it will differ from the University Avenue redesign. Speciﬁc dates have not been announced.

“Now is not the time for political posturing or worrying about one’s next political ofﬁce,” Landry posted on X. “(Miguez) seems to want to run to social media instead of offering his own plan.” On Monday, Brent Littleﬁeld, Landry’s chief outside adviser, said the governor’s response to the Miguez en-

Automakers including Ford, General Motors and Stellantis operate major assembly plants in Ontario, and the wider supply chain supports tens of thousands of jobs. Trump’s new threat of a 50% tariff on Canadian vehicles and parts puts that sector directly at the center of the escalating dispute. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Monday that “the only reason Canada has auto production in the ﬁrst place” was because of the 1960s Auto Pact, under which Canada used access to its market to encourage vehicle production north of the border.

Ford says he opposed deal Ford also disclosed that he had opposed the preliminary agreement Carney was considering before Canada walked away from negotiations, and that he was unwilling to restore American liquor to Ontario store shelves as part of an agreement. “I wasn’t going to put the booze back on the shelves,” Ford said. “I was ready to go out there and call a news conference … and say I’m not buckling over.” Ford said he understood Washington had sought language late in the negotiations that would have restricted Canada’s ability to negotiate trade agreements with other countries without U.S. approval. Carney has called that demand unacceptable and a question of Canadian sovereignty. Carney said the dispute also exposed a deeper divide over language and culture, saying protections for French and Canadian culture that Washington views as trade irritants are considered fundamental rights in Canada. “Who does he think he is?” Ford said of Trump. “You gotta be kidding.”

dorsement had more to do with how it happened. “One candidate had more support and didn’t get the endorsement,” Littlefield said. “That certainly raised a question of why the party chose to get involved.” One political casualty of Sunday’s endorsement was Rhett Davis, whose work as

a consultant to the Louisiana Republican Party dates back more than 30 years. Cory Dennis, the party’s executive director, ﬁred Davis because he made calls to help Miguez secure the endorsement, party sources said. Davis did not return a phone call.

IRS Back Taxes Got You Worried? These guys helped so much!! Helped me navigate my unfortunate situation with such ease. A BIG thank you... A huge blessing.

“

- Catherine

Our Tax Professionals will get you on the phone with the IRS in minutes for FREE. We will help negotiate the best solution for your tax challenge. At PRIORITY TAX, WE'VE GOT YOUR BACK!

CALL NOW FOR FREE CONSULTATION!

844.426.1495

Priority Tax is a private company that identifies qualified consumers who require tax assistance. They are not the IRS, nor a State Taxing Authority. They are not a debt relief company or attorney referral service. Costs and results will vary. RESULTS ARE NOT GUARANTEED. Hiring a tax resolution company is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements. There is no charge for a consultation. Call for complete details.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ● 5A

lll

High court sides with Trump on mail voting order BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration Monday in a case over President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting, though it remains unclear how much can be implemented before the fast-approaching midterm elections. The decision leaves room for additional court challenges that could further slow Trump’s order, and other similar cases have already been filed. The U.S. Postal Service laid out how it would implement the order last week, but time is running short to impose major changes with some states beginning to send mail ballots to voters in just a few weeks. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority didn’t decide the legality of Trump’s order, instead ruling that the states did not have the legal right to challenge it. “The Court’s disposition of this application does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful. On that score, time will tell,” the majority wrote in an unsigned order. The three liberal-leaning justices publicly dissented, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson writing that the rule

“lets another shoe drop in the Kafkaesque nightmare that our precedents have been steadily creating for certain plaintiffs who seek to bring election-related challenges.” New York Attorney General Letitia James foreshadowed more legal wrangling, calling the decision a “painful setback” but vowing it would “not be the final word.” The court’s order opens a path for the administration to begin action to restrict mail voting, but it also could lead to a bevy of potential further litigation that could freeze the federal government again, all starting 10 days before the first mail ballots in the nation are scheduled to be sent to overseas and military voters from North Carolina. “This is just the first inning of a very fast nine-inning game,” said Derek Muller, a law professor at Notre Dame University. Mail balloting has long been a favorite target for Trump, who has claimed that it breeds fraud despite strong evidence to the contrary and his own use of the voting method. Trump’s executive order, signed in March, calls on his administration to create lists of eligible voters and orders the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on those lists. Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By LyNNE SLAdKy

An election worker places a vote-by-mail ballot into a secure bin on Aug. 18 at the Miamidade County Supervisor of Elections Office during the Florida primary election in doral, Fla. Columbia sued to block the order. They argued that the Constitution gives states and Congress the power to run elections, and Trump’s changes could lead to chaos and partisan abuse. “The consequences of allowing such transformative changes to take effect so close to this fall’s elections would be extreme,” attorneys for the states wrote. Dozens of state and local election ofﬁcials weighed in, asking the justices to leave the order frozen while election preparations are already

underway. A judge in Massachusetts blocked the plan for the midterm elections in those states. An appeals court upheld her decision. She later granted a second order blocking it nationwide, another potential stumbling block for Trump administration plan. The Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court on procedural grounds in late July, arguing that the states sued too soon. They also pointed to another ruling out of Washington, where a judge allowed Trump’s order

to proceed. An appeals court backed that decision, while still leaving room for future court action if the changes are implemented. Federal attorneys argued that the Massachusetts order “blocks the government’s ability to ﬁnalize and implement the President’s proposed policies to promote election integrity for the upcoming federal elections in November.” A dozen Republican-leaning states supported the federal government in their own appeal before the high court,

saying states would have input on the ﬁnal voter lists. The Supreme Court has previously ruled against Trump-backed arguments on mail-in ballots, ﬁnding in June that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day. That case was decided after full briefing and arguments, rather than on the court’s emergency docket. Trump has blamed mail voting — without credible evidence — for his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. He has promoted the proposed changes in his executive order as safeguards to keep non-U.S. citizens from voting. He’s also repeatedly pressed for the passage of the legislation that requires proof of citizenship to vote. Noncitizen voting has been shown to be rare, and is a felony that can be punishable by deportation. Using mail ballots has become increasingly popular with voters of both parties, with about 30% of all ballots cast that way during the 2024 presidential election, according to federal data. The process also is secure. A 2025 Brookings Institution study found only about four cases of fraud out of every 10 million mail ballots cast. Associated Press writer Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this story.

Officials: U.S. set for largest mass visa revocation in history Up to 200,000 foreigners could be targeted BY MATTHEW LEE

AP diplomatic writer

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States. If it happens, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history and would likely face legal challenges. Unless challenged or revised, the State Department

is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, according to State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and two U.S. ofﬁcials. The action will be taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. “We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently,” said State Department spokes-

man Tommy Pigott. He declined to comment on the number of visas that might be revoked, saying “as the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis.” The revocations would not necessarily result in their immediate deportation, the officials said. Most of those with asylum cases currently pending would be recategorized but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the revocations are not final yet. Since President Donald Trump took office for his

Psychologist: Woman didn’t have psychosis when she killed her kids BY MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

Lindsay Clancy did not have acute psychosis when she killed her three children but rather took their lives so they wouldn’t “suffer” after she took her own life, a forensic psychologist testiﬁed Monday in her murder trial. Kirk Heilbrun said he ruled out acute psychosis with command hallucinations because he didn’t believe Clancy when she said she heard a voice telling her to “kill the children so you can kill yourself.” “The way she described this as happening is that she heard a voice that she’d never heard before, experienced a hallucination and she’s never experienced it since. But she only experi-

enced it for the 18 minutes or so that it took to kill the children,” Heilbrun testified. “To put it mildly, that would be a very, very unusual pattern or manifestation of how this kind of thing comes about. Very unusual.” A key issue at trial is Clancy’s mental health. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington does not dispute that Clancy killed the children in January 2023 but says she shouldn’t be held criminally responsible because she had postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth. After killing her children, Clancy jumped from a second-floor window and remains paralyzed from the waist down. Heilbrun testified that he concluded that

Clancy killed her children because she wanted to kill herself but didn’t want to leave them behind. “One of the things that she said when I asked about what happened, is that in the course of strangling each child, she said, ‘Go to God, baby. Go to God,’ ” he said. “That was part of her expectation that she and the children would be together in heaven with God.” Heilbrun also mentioned Clancy’s Catholic faith, prompting a request for a mistrial from Reddington that Judge William Sullivan denied. He later instructed the jury to disregard the reference to “the religion that the defendant was raised with,” calling it “an absolutely inappropriate area of testimony.”

Gang coalition unleashes attack on farming community in Haiti By The Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A powerful gang coalition attacked a once peaceful farming community nestled in the hills above Haiti’s capital, killing multiple people, an official told The Associated Press on Monday. Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon said armed men raided the community late Sunday, setting fire to homes and killing residents. “It is still impossible to establish a definitive death toll due to access difficulties and communication problems,”

he said. Wails ﬁlled the air in Kenscoff as survivors found the bodies of friends and family strewn on the streets early Monday. “They killed my son!” one woman kept yelling as people nearby tried to comfort her. One man ﬂung himself on the side of the road, head on his right arm as he cried on the ground. Nearby, people picked up the bodies of those killed, some wrapped in blood-spattered sheets. Robert Jean recalled how he heard shooting before

dawn and tried to rustle people from their sleep to escape being killed. He said he was frantically looking for his brother, who was killed: “I was calling to see if everyone was safe. I could not ﬁnd my brother.” Another Kenscoff resident blamed the government for the killings. “If only we had a good police force that would have placed an armored truck here, what happened here would have been prevented,” said Verti Enold-Saint as he lifted a sheet over the body of his brother-in-law.

second term last year, his administration has steadily ramped up restrictions on visa applicants — demanding more information about their social media histories, requiring the posting of expensive bonds for the processing of visas, and outright banning the issuance of visas to citizens of certain countries. In a social media post on Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Lan-

dau called out people who he said try to use tourist and business visas to get into the United States and then apply for asylum. “People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau wrote on X. “Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.” Landau cited the case of a Colombian citizen who came to the U.S. in 2015

on a tourist visa and then applied for asylum. B1 visas are generally issued for business trips and B2 visas are generally issued for tourism, family visits or medical care. It was not immediately clear from the documents or the officials how many of these visa holders are seeking or have sought asylum in the United States and would be affected by the revocations.

FIND OUT WHAT YOUR HOME FINF OUT WHAT

YOURIS WORTH HOME

IS WORTH Call Today for an Expert Valuation and Make Your Next Move

1-833-671-6635

CALL TODAY

THINKING

OF SELLING? A home evaluation is a great place to start

addresslafayettela.com DRE#01901536 This website is a marketing and information program that sends all inquiries to state-licensed real estate professionals.

6A ● Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

TODAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm

Humid; an afternoon t-storm

A heavy t-storm in the p.m.

Some rain and a thunderstorm

A stray afternoon thunderstorm

Humid with a couple of showers

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

94° 78°

LOW

HIGH

95° 78°

LOW

91° 76°

Beaumont 97/77 Port Arthur 95/78

Baton Rouge 93/76

Lake Charles 95/79

New Orleans 92/78 Houma 88/75

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Hattiesburg 94/74

Alexandria 97/76

Lafayette 94/78

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

HIGH

91° 76°

LOW

89° 75°

TEMPERATURE Jackson 93/73

Many 99/76

LOW

YESTERDAY

TODAY

REAdING 54 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Monday

Longview 103/79

-0s

89° 73°

Monroe 98/76

Shreveport 101/79

-10s

LOW

While very strong to severe thunderstorms were moving across Southeast Louisiana yesterday, in Acadiana, we were dealing with the Heat Advisory and heat index values up to 112. Today, the heat is again our primary concern. Most of us are under a major heat risk today. Our actual temperatures will rise to the mid- to upper 90s, but with high humidity, the heat index could rise as high as 107 or higher. The UV index is at the very high level today. Our rain chances will rise again on Thursday.

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

High/low Normal high/low Last year’s high/low Record high Record low

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today FULL

AUG 27

City

Austin Boston dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

PRECIPITATION

94°/78° 92°/74° 92°/72° 106° in 2023 60° in 1897

TODAY’S TIDES Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) Shell Beach South Point, Marsh Island Cypremort Point Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) Wine Island

24-hour total Month to date Normal month to date year to date Normal year to date

HIGH

7:03p 1:16p 5:25a 7:49a 8:41a 8:02a 9:49a

6:41 a.m. 7:39 p.m. 6:22 p.m. 4:07 a.m.

LAST

NEW

SEP 4

104 80 105 56 90 105 84 92 91

TODAY Lo

75 64 83 46 77 87 63 80 66

FIRST

SEP 10

s s pc r sh s pc t pc

SEP 18

104 80 101 57 88 110 88 92 90

MOdERATE

WED. Lo

75 65 80 39 75 87 67 79 72

s s t sh pc pc pc t t

FT.

LOW

0.49” 2.59” 4.83” 43.38” 42.25”

FT.

HIGH

0.8 6:01a 0.0 1.8 11:50p 0.1 1.9 8:16a 1.9 2.0 11:32p 0.3 1.4 7:45p 0.2 1.7 6:01p 0.1 1.8 8:47p 0.2

FT.

--- ----- --12:26p 1.9 --- ----- ----- ----- ---

SOURCE: LOUISIANA dEQ ANd AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

FT.

--- ----- --7:34p 0.0 --- ----- ----- ----- ---

The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter. MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

Today 9:55a Wednesday 10:38a Thursday 11:21a Friday 12:05p Saturday 12:29a Sunday 1:16a Monday 2:07a

City

New Orleans Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Raleigh St. Louis San diego Tampa

92 93 82 113 76 86 85 83 91

3:43a 4:26a 5:10a 5:54a 6:40a 7:27a 8:18a

TODAY Lo

78 76 66 90 59 65 70 72 77

10:19p 11:01p 11:44p ---12:50p 1:39p 2:30p

t t s s pc s pc s t

GOOd

92 91 85 115 79 89 92 84 91

4:07p 4:50p 5:32p 6:16p 7:01p 7:50p 8:42p

WED. Lo

78 76 70 91 62 72 68 73 78

t t s c c t t s t

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

MISSISSIPPI Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO Cairo COMITE Near Olive AMITE Near darlington denham Springs Port Vincent TICKFAW Montpelier Holden ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

MON. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

13.70 25.50 26.50 10.70 5.60 4.13 3.40

+0.81 +1.46 +1.30 +0.90 +0.50 +0.31 +0.27

30.06

+0.18

-1.45

none

18 29 8

-0.84 10.50 1.55

-0.19 +0.14 +0.25

13 15

1.68 0.90

-0.72 +0.10

47 34 29 20 12 6

10.59 6.69 5.18 4.66 3.00 1.63

+1.05 +0.68 +0.61 +0.44 none none

data as of 7 a.m. Monday

Marina battle stretches on Virgin Islands project has Louisiana ties

BY ALYSE PFEIL

Staff writer

Construction of a proposed yacht marina in the U.S. Virgin Islands overseen by Louisiana natives and defended by former U.S. Rep. Garret Graves of Baton Rouge came close to fruition after more than a decade of regulatory hurdles and legal challenges, but it now faces another obstacle after local environmentalists sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The local groups argue the Corps didn’t sufﬁciently study the environmental and aesthetic impacts of the marina project, but Graves argues the yearslong permitting process was more than enough and is in fact an example of a broken, burdensome federal bureaucracy. Located in the town of Coral Bay on the island of St. John, the marina complex is slated to have 115 boat slips for yachts ranging from 30 feet to 150 feet at a cost of about $130 million. The developer behind the project, Summer’s End Group, is run by Denham Springs native Chaliese Summers and her partner, Louisiana native Rick Barksdale. Summers and Barksdale have lived on St. John for close to two decades, though they maintain a second home in Louisiana close to their children and grandchildren, Summers said. The permitting process for the marina started in 2014. After lengthy local debates over the project, the Corps this spring granted permits allowing construction to proceed. But this month, the group Save Coral Bay sued to block that approval. “The construction approved by the Army Corps will directly harm, deteriorate and in some cases destroy the aesthetics, habitat and natural features of Coral Bay,” the lawsuit argues. The developer challenged that claim. “The Army Corps reviewed the permit for more than 10 years, and the issues raised in the lawsuit were all identified and fully addressed during the permitting process,” Summers told The Advocate

| Times-Picayune. Summers said the project “includes millions of dollars in environmental restoration and infrastructure improvements.” The Corps did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Stupid policies and delays’ The lawsuit states Graves, who sat on the House Natural Resources Committee, advocated for approval of the project with the Corps and other federal agencies in 2023 and 2024 and received regular updates on it. The lawsuit suggests the Corps’ review of the marina project became more lax due to Graves’ involvement. Graves countered, saying that “conducting oversight here is what public service looks like.” He said he never advocated for the permit approvals but rather for a decision. “It would take 30 seconds of a web search to show that my entire career was spent bashing the Corps’ stupid policies and delays when they adversely affected our citizens,” he said. “In this case, our constituents borrowed untold dollars and have been dealing with the federal bureaucracy for 15 years to get a permit. No constituent should be treated this way.” The former congressman for years has been a ﬁerce critic of the Corps, including when he chaired a congressional committee overseeing the agency and before that when he led Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. In 2013 as a state ofﬁcial, he called the Corps “a complete disaster.” Graves, who was elected to Congress in 2014 and in 2024 opted not to run again after his seat was redistricted, said that he learned about the marina project from constituents in 2017 and has worked with federal agencies on it since that time. A year ago, in August 2025, Graves traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands to testify before the Legislature there in favor of the marina project. He argued that federal bureaucracy was to blame for hampering millions of dollars of private investment and an economic development project that began years before. “We’ve been working with the alphabet soup of federal agencies

and even ﬂagged the Summer’s End project to the White House as an example of how broken the federal regulatory process has become,” Graves told members of the U.S. Virgin Islands Legislature. “Now, we are seeing the attention on this project like never before.” The lawsuit says an investor in the development company contributed $25,000 to Graves’ reelection campaign in September of 2023. The lawsuit does not identify the donor. Graves strenuously objected to any insinuation he was inﬂuenced by campaign donations, saying no ethics complaints have been filed against him throughout his 30 years of public service.

The marina The proposed “full-service, environmentally considerate marina complex” will also have a Customs and Border Protection ofﬁce, fuel, waste disposal services, restaurants, bars and a local market, and it will serve “mega yachts, mono & sail cats, cruisers, sport ﬁshers & more,” according to the project website. The project would be funded “with a total private investment” of $130 million, according to written testimony Summers submitted to the U.S. Virgin Islands Legislature in 2025. Summer’s End Group, the developer, is “a coalescence of generational St. Johnian families” that includes Summers, Barksdale and local residents, business owners and landowners as well as investors from South Florida and Louisiana, according to the testimony. Summers told Virgin Islands lawmakers that St. John has no boat slips despite residents wanting a marina for more than 40 years. “We are here to change that,” she said. “We are here to capture the economic activity for the recreational boating industry that St. John has missed out on for far too long.” Summers said that Graves “has a long-standing record of helping constituents and others navigate delayed Army Corps matters and pressing the agency to make decisions.” “This project had been waiting roughly 10 years for a decision, and Congressman Graves helped press the Army Corps to act,” she said.

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By EFREM LUKATSKy

Ukrainian and foreign officials attend a ceremony Monday marking Ukraine’s Independence day in Kyiv, Ukraine.

European leaders mark Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day BY SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — European leaders joined President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence and boost its long-range missile program as Russia pressed on with its 4-year-old invasion of the country. One of President Vladimir Putin’s key goals in starting a war with Russia’s neighbor in February 2022 was to return Kyiv to Moscow’s orbit. Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Aug. 24, 1991, to proclaim the country’s independence, and a nationwide referendum later that year overwhelmingly approved it. With no signiﬁcant changes on the front line for months and no apparent progress after more than a year of U.S.-led peace efforts, both countries are locked in a spiral of escalating aerial attacks that are killing civilians and smashing infrastructure. U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, on his ﬁrst overseas trip since taking office last month, joined almost a dozen other European leaders, as well as other dignitaries in Kyiv on Monday.

“For Ukraine, independence is not an abstract idea. We defended it against all odds,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media. “In times like these, nations learn how important it is to have allies by your side.” Burnham co-chaired a meeting of what’s been dubbed the Coalition of the Willing — a group of over two dozen countries helping Ukraine resist Russia’s onslaught. Burnham said he is pushing British industry to help a Ukrainian project that is working on a low-cost alternative to the U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems that are desperately needed but are in short supply. He urged other countries to encourage Washington to adopt stiffer sanctions on Russia and press Moscow to accept U.S. attempts to secure an unconditional ceaseﬁre. Zelenskyy said in a speech at Kyiv’s St. Sophia Square that the presence of European leaders reﬂected continental fears about Russia’s wider ambitions. “We all understand that in this Russian war against us — against Ukraine — far more is being decided than the future of Ukraine and Eastern Europe,” he said.

METRO

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

T u e s d ay, au g u s T 25, 2026

1BN

Youngsville police sought accreditation Application submitted after City Council rejection BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

Documents that were publicly circulated online and later conﬁrmed as authentic show that the Youngsville Police Department submitted an application to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies after the City Council voted against pur-

suing accreditation. In June, the City Council voted 3-1 against a request by Police Chief JP Broussard for the department to pursue accreditation, saying members wanted additional information before moving forward. Despite that vote, the Police Department submitted an application to the commission July 23. The application featured multi-

ple factual errors and typographical mistakes, including an erroneous reference to the “Crete” Police Department and the misspellings of various Police Department employees. Additionally, Broussard struggled to answer questions during the meeting about how much the accreditation process would cost and whether the city would owe any ﬁnancial obligations as a

result. The submission raised questions about whether Broussard circumvented the council’s decision by advancing the accreditation process despite the council’s vote. The department also received an application fee waiver valued at about $9,650, indicating the commission had accepted the application for processing. On Aug. 14, Youngsville Mayor Ken Ritter sent an email to City Council members informing them

that Broussard had submitted an application for accreditation. Broussard said the submission of the form did not mean he was defying the council’s previous action. He argued that the application, while approved by commission, only goes into effect when signed by the mayor. “It’s null and void as of now,” Broussard told The Acadiana Advocate. “I never signed anything

ä See POLICE, page 4B

Hughes’ defamation trial continues Former editor, writer take stand

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAd KEMP

Y’ALL GOT THIS

ABOVE: Dean of Engineering Ahmed Khattab, right, gives two thumbs-up to incoming freshman Joidyh Johnlouis while walking to her class during the ﬁrst day of the 2026 fall semester at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Monday in Lafayette. RIGHT: Interim Provost Dianne Olivier hands out donuts to arriving students the ﬁrst day of the 2026 fall semester on Monday.

A retired editor and a former editorial writer for The Advocate both took the witness stand Monday to defend the accuracy of a 2019 opinion piece criticizing Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Jefferson Hughes III’s handling of a child custody case. Their testimony came on the ﬁnal day of testimony in the trial of a defamation lawsuit Hughes ﬁled against the newspaper over the editorial. The case was set to go to closing arguments Monday night. Hughes is seeking $10 million, claiming he was libeled by the editorial, which ran two days after an investigative news story into his alleged ethical lapses as a Livingston Parish judge in the custody case more than two decades ago. The editorial, in its headline, asserted Hughes had made a “mockery of justice.” Danny Heitman, a former member of the paper’s editorial board, wrote the unsigned editorial for the “Our Views” section of the paper’s Opinion page. He told jurors he based the editorial on the reporting from the frontpage investigative story and stood by its accuracy and opinion-based conclusions. Under questioning from Scott Sternberg, an attorney for The Advocate, Heitman disputed the idea that he or other members of the board had an agenda against Hughes. Heitman told the Iberville Parish jury that he hadn’t known much about Hughes before the paper’s news coverage of him, beyond that he was a justice. Heitman said the judge’s actions merited the opinion column. Hughes oversaw a custody case in 1998 and 1999 in which one of the litigants, the mother of a 5-year-old boy, was represented by a lawyer with whom he would at one point have a romantic relationship. The custody case triggered an FBI investigation, which did not lead to charges, and a probe by the state Judiciary Commission, which disciplines Louisiana judges for ethical violations. Five years later, Hughes wrote an apology letter to the grandmother of the boy and to the child’s biological father, who had battled the mother in the case. The judge’s letter to the grandmother called his own actions in the case inimical

ä See TRIAL, page 4B

8-year-old La. girl dies from a rare amoeba Infection likely contracted from Lake Claiborne

BY JACK BROOK

Associated Press/Report for America

An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana has died after being infected by an extremely rare brain-eating amoeba that is found in warm freshwater, her family says. Lillian Smart died over the weekend after being diagnosed with an infection from Naegleria fowleri, according to Kyle Roberts, a spokesperson for her family. Health authorities describe it as a “brain-eating amoeba” that thrives in fresh-

always proves fatal. On average, there are fewer than 10 cases annually in the U.S. “Last night Lillian ran from our arms to the arms of Jesus,” her parents, Daniel and Rebecca Smart, wrote Sunday in a public post on Facebook. “The injuries to her brain were too severe for her little body to recover from. Everyone did everything they PROVIdEd PHOTO could to keep her here.” The Louisiana Department of Lillian Smart, an 8-year-old Health said last week that the from Louisiana, died Sunday state had experienced its ﬁrst after being infected by a confirmed Naegleria fowleri rare amoeba found in warm infection since 2013. The department, which did not idenfreshwater. tify Smart, does not comment water bodies around the U.S. on individual cases or speciﬁc and can shoot up the nose and patients, according to spokescause an infection that almost person Stacey Grow.

“Heartbroken over the news of Lillian’s passing,” Gov. Jeff Landry wrote on X. The infection was likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne in north Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Health said. The amoeba can lead to a fatal infection known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis when water carrying the amoeba travels up the nose and into the brain. Between 1937 and 2025, there have only been approximately 180 conﬁrmed infections in the U.S., according to the Health Department, which added that the cases are “nearly always fatal.” The

ä See AMOEBA, page 4B

STAFF PHOTO By By dAVId J. MITCHELL

Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Jeff Hughes III, left, and one of his plaintiff’s attorneys, Chuck Hughes Jr., leave the Iberville Parish Courthouse in Plaquemine on Aug. 17 following jury selection and opening statements in a defamation trial.

Jan Risher is on vacation. Her column will return next week.

2B ● Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

OPINION T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/opinions

OUR VIEWS

Amtrak’s Mardi Gras service’s success boosts region When Amtrak’s Mardi Gras line between Mobile and New Orleans opened to the public on Aug. 18, 2025, the train service carried lots of hope while raising a number of questions. When it celebrated its first anniversary last Tuesday, most of the hopes had been more than realized, while the many smaller questions have been replaced with just a single, bigger main concern. The concern is about safety. Just about everything else about the train has been a roaring success. The Mardi Gras line has experienced eight crashes in just a year, five of them deadly, with a total of seven people killed and about a dozen train passengers or employees injured. While there is little Amtrak can do about motorists and pedestrians unsafely crossing or walking along the tracks, and while this line’s conductors already blow their warning horns loudly and often, it is a good thing that the Southern Rail Commission plans to use part of a federal grant to study rail-crossing safety. It also is heartening that the Mississippi Department of Transportation is leveling rail crossings and is working to add gates where they are missing, even though several of the victims of train accidents drove around existing gates. We also hope local police or sheriffs will aggressively penalize drivers who ignore road signs and crossing arms. Meanwhile, the good news is abundant. Official original projections were for 70,000 riders in the first year, which would have been considered a clear success. Instead, the number of riders crossed the 150,000 mark before the first anniversary. Amtrak also takes customer surveys, and company spokesman Marc Magliari said the surveys for the Mardi Gras Service show the single highest level of rider satisfaction of any line among all 46 states and 2 Canadian provinces where Amtrak operates. He said the Mobileto-New-Orleans line also sells more coffee than any other Amtrak operation, and he credits the decision to use locally made Community coffee. It is no wonder that satisfaction is high: The train cars are bright and clean, the scenery along the coast is terrific, and the convenience of access to and at the stations is notable. Our news pages also report that Mobile, New Orleans and Mississippi coastal towns are all seeing economic and cultural benefits from the Mardi Gras line, some of them measurable, some anecdotal. And that’s even before Mobile opens a new 10,000-seat arena as an even bigger attraction for coastal travel, and before Mississippi towns have finished adding restaurants and other enhancements around their depots. All of which suggests, by the way, that it would make sense at least to analyze options for extending the service eastward to Pensacola and westward to Baton Rouge. With so much to celebrate so far, the more, the merrier.

Too much power in the hands of one party? It’s time to vote. The control of both the executive and legislative branches by the current Republican administration and Congress has accelerated a deeply concerning decline in our nation’s foundational systems and global standing. The relentless focus on deregulating major industries has dismantled decades of critical environmental protections, accelerating habitat destruction and leaving public health vulnerable to industrial pollution. Economic policies favoring tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy have worsened wealth inequality, putting an unsustainable ﬁnancial strain on the middle and working classes while ballooning our national debt. The administration’s isolationist foreign policy and erratic approach to international diplomacy have severely damaged our relationships with our global allies. By retreating from international agreements, this administration has created a dangerous leadership

N.O. ended veteran homelessness, but progress is threatened

vacuum on the world stage, allowing adversaries to expand their inﬂuence unchecked. We urgently need a return to balanced governance that prioritizes long-term economic equity, environmental stewardship and responsible global leadership. Let’s choose leaders who will defend our democracy and build a country that works for all of us, not just a few. Let’s choose leaders who listen, who serve with integrity and who will ﬁght for the issues that matter: affordable healthcare, good jobs, strong public schools, climate action and protecting our fundamental rights. I encourage everyone to vote Democratic in this year’s elections. Let’s move our country forward with hope, with unity and with a commitment for justice and opportunity for all. Our future is in our hands. Let’s make it a brighter one, together.

As a retired member of our military and a New Orleans resident, I learned a simple lesson: When a mission is succeeding, you reinforce it. You don’t dismantle it because someone else wants control. New Orleans has proven what its homelessness system can accomplish. In 2015, New Orleans became the first major American city to effectively end veteran homelessness. Local government, the Veterans Administration, UNITY and nonprofit partners built a coordinated system to identify homeless veterans, house them and help them remain housed. This partnership ended veteran homelessness in New Orleans, a year earlier than the federal goal. That system continues serving veterans today. Like the rest of the country, New Orleans has faced challenges. While rents climbed nearly 47%, Louisiana lawmakers repeatedly rejected efforts to raise the minimum wage, stuck at $7.25 since 2009, yet passed a law giving themselves a pay raise in June. We shouldn’t be surprised when people fall into homelessness after housing costs soar while wages remain frozen. But here’s what matters: We responded. While communities across the country struggled with rising homelessness, New Orleans reversed the trend. Street homelessness declined as local partners moved people from encampments into permanent housing. So why does Baton Rouge want control of the federal dollars supporting that work? We’ve seen the state’s approach. Before the Super Bowl, millions were spent on a temporary warehouse rather than permanent housing, with the contract awarded to a for-profit company with no history of serving people experiencing homelessness. Its owners, however, have financially supported Republican political causes. As a veteran and taxpayer, I don’t want a proven system disrupted so politicians can redirect money to their friends. New Orleans knows how to house veterans. We proved it. When the strategy is working, support it. Don’t replace results with politics.

BECKY CONNERS Baton Rouge

Why is SpaceX exempt from taxes and liability? The Louisiana Legislature passed a package of bills easing regulations on Elon Musk’s SpaceX spaceport, exempting the company from sales and property tax, public records disclosure and liability for damage to nearby homes and businesses. What? And what about Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Hyperion data center in North Louisiana? Will he also be exempt? In an effort to bring big business and jobs to the state, our Legislature

is once again willing to allow these companies to take whatever they want from our soil, our coast, our homes and our health for their economic gain. What happens when these companies create problems that they are exempt from ﬁxing? Haven’t we sued the oil companies for their disregard of the issues and problems they’ve created? Will we never learn?

SHARON LACOUR Lafayette

Amazon’s drones create a noisy nuisance overhead

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published

identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor, The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.

YOUR VIEWS

TO SENd US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

When the Amazon Fulfillment Center at Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge opened to much excitement, I did not foresee that I would be living next to an airport. My property appears to be under an Amazon Prime Air “flyway,” with drones buzzing overhead all day, some as early as 7:30 a.m. Those who are receiving packages delivered by drone may delight in the novelty and convenience. They may not realize how many other people may be inconvenienced by the constant drone traffic over their private property.

The Federal Aviation Administration is being asked to allow up to 1,000 Amazon drone flights a day in Baton Rouge. This creates unacceptable noise overhead as drones fly to delivery and back. Drones also may bring up privacy issues with outfitted cameras, and it’s possible they may trigger anxiety for military veterans who have known drone warfare. For myself, I can no longer enjoy the peace and quiet of my front and back yard in the mornings without persistent drone interference.

KAY RADLAUER Baton Rouge

KRISTINA EUGENE New Orleans

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR LOCAL REPORTING

KEVIN HALL

President & Publisher

RENE SANCHEZ

VP/News, Executive Editor

KARYN KEARNEY EVP/Strategic Partnerships

ARNESSA GARRETT Managing Editor/ Opinion

JUSTIN MITCHELL

Managing Editor/ Audience

HANK STUEVER

Managing Editor/ Enterprise

FRED KALMBACH

JENNIFER BROWN

JERRY DICOLO

EMMA DISCHER

Managing Editor

Managing Editor, New Orleans

KRISTIN ASKELSON Managing Editor, Acadiana

BARBARA LEADER Managing Editor, Shreveport

Senior Editor Senior Editor

ANDREA GALLO

ROGER HOLMES

Chief Revenue Ofﬁcer

ASHLEY WHITCHER

VP/ Consumer Sales

JIM MYERS

General Manager/ Advertising

VP/IT

Senior Editor/ Investigations

VP/Finance

JESSICA WILLIAMS

ROBERT STOLL

Senior Editor

CHASE HEATHERLY

Executive VP, Operations

VP/Distribution

KYLE WHITFIELD

GEORGES MEDIA GROUP JOHN D. GEORGES Owner

JUDI TERZOTIS

ROBERT YOUNG

Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

LOU HUDSON

Editorial Page

VP/ Majors & Nationals

DAN SHEA

Chairman

ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ● 3B

lll

COMMENTARY A rare Senate vacancy triggers a test for Trump COLUMBIA, S.C. — Reading the Southern mind is a tricky business, especially in secessionist South Carolina. It is even more so now that a second Northern invasion has seized and occupied the state’s best places, diluting the culture and potentially altering the political landscape. Even so, some classic traits remain amid the population boom. Chief among them are a stubborn, independent streak and an allergic reaction to outsiders telling the Kathleen born-and-bred how to Parker think and what to do. This tendency is nearly pathological when it comes to the media and the so-called elites. Lately, I’ve begun wondering whether this reaction might also apply to a certain New York celebrity narcissist who happens to be president of the United States. Methinks Donald Trump’s lame-duck irrelevance is starting to show. While a Trump political endorsement has long been tantamount to the pope’s blessing for Republican ofﬁce seekers, its effectiveness seems to be waning. Already this primary season, Republican voters have snubbed 10 Trumpendorsed candidates for statewide ofﬁce or Congress, including in South Carolina. Early on, Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for governor. She was also endorsed by Trump loyalist Gov. Henry McMaster. But Evette didn’t win the primary outright and had to face state Attorney General Alan Wilson in a runoff, which she lost. Trump’s endorsement ultimately became a curse when he decided just days before the runoff to also endorse Wilson, saying on Truth Social that either candidate would make a good governor. He may as well have driven a stake through Evette’s heart. Trump not only looked two-faced, he devalued his own currency by endorsing two people for the same position. Next up was the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the sudden death of Lindsey Graham and the conventional wisdom that no one could replace him. Except, that is, for his little sister, Darline Graham, who was adopted by her older brother when she was 13 and he was 22 after their parents died. Her grief over the loss of her brother has been palpable these past several weeks as she has navigated a political world that she says she never wanted to enter. Until she did! Within days of Lindsey Graham’s death at 71 from an aortic dissection due to cardiovascular disease, McMas-

program’s success because it will inevitably face political pressure from opponents. The public school system may be the last and largest remaining monopoly in the country. Courts have broken up other monopolies, but only parents have the power to break up the public school monopoly by depriving them of the “raw material.” It’s called competition, which has worked well in just about every other field. It can also work in education and is starting to, in states with school choice options. Stories about the transformation of public school children who have managed to escape their underperforming schools for private ones are starting to get the public’s attention. The media mostly ignore them, but word is getting around, especially to poor and minority parents who want their children to have a bright future. A significant side benefit would be children who grow up loving America, believing in capitalism and not joining the Democratic Socialists of America. Thanks to school choice and the FSTC law, we may finally see a system that puts children and the country first, not the teachers’ unions and the agenda of the secular progressives.

The Flock camera controversy is migrating to Louisiana. At least a little bit. In recent months, Flock-brand license-plate reader cameras have become the focus of growing anger around the country. In some places, the cameras have been vandalized. Some have called for them to come down. A host of websites, including DeFlock and Have I Been Flocked, have sprung up, providing crowdsourced data to those troubled by the cameras. Their concern is simple: The cameras represent an unacceptable leveling up of public surveillance. But the issue has only in recent weeks started to bubble up in Louisiana, where there are nearly Faimon 7,000 such cameras, according to Roberts DeFlock. Last week, Livingston Parish council member Ryan Chavers introduced an ordinance that would “ban Flock cameras on Livingston Parish roads,” according to a headline. “You’re not going to use our parish rights of way to surveil people,” Chavers said. Chavers’ proposal may win him some points with voters, but it is ultimately toothless. The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office doesn’t have a contract with Flock. The ordinance would apply only to privately owned cameras on public rights of way along parish-owned or parish-maintained roads. In other words, only roads controlled by the parish, not all roads in the parish. Cameras along state roads would not be subject to the ban. Also, the ban would only apply to privately owned cameras, not publicly owned ones. The proposal, if passed later this month, would mostly hit homeowners associations that set up cameras as a way of monitoring who comes in and out. This proposal targets the wrong watchers. People aren’t necessarily worried about their neighbors watching them. If they were, there would have been a massive pushback against doorbell cameras. The Flock camera issue is about government surveillance. The biggest users of license-plate readers, including Flock cameras, are law enforcement agencies. Each agency determines who has access to the images and data. The avenue for abuse is wide. A case from Jefferson Parish last week hammered home this danger. There, Sheriff Joe Lopinto fired a deputy who had accessed that parish’s camera system thousands of times to track the movements of one person — his former fiancée. The deputy didn’t face criminal charges because the woman opted not to file a criminal complaint and said she was aware of her ex’s actions, Lopinto said. More worryingly, however, Lopinto and JPSO did not know about the deputy’s misuse of the system until they were contacted by reporters for The Washington Post, who had discovered the searches by studying a public database. Not to single Lopinto out too harshly here. The Washington Post investigation found several instances in which local police forces — even very large ones — actually had no idea how their employees were using this massive surveillance apparatus. For instance, Indianapolis Police Chief Tanya Terry wrote an op-ed in a local magazine insisting that the department had strong guidelines in place to govern use of the cameras. But three weeks later, The Post notified her that an employee had tracked his wife and two “close personal acquaintances” more than 3,700 times over 10 months. Terry told The Post that the case was a “learning experience” for her department. The Post’s investigation found that use of the cameras was widespread, but many departments had no auditing system to monitor how the system was being used by its employees. In many cases, those who wanted to abuse it did so with little impediment. Jefferson Parish and Indianapolis are just two recent examples of this happening. There are plenty of others. Obviously, the cameras have good uses, too. They have been repeatedly cited by law enforcement as crucial to solving crimes. In just one recent example, deputies from the Sabine County Sheriff’s Office in Texas and the Louisiana State Police were able to locate and recover a child missing from Texas by tracking the suspect’s car using the camera network. Those are worth acknowledging. The cameras and their databases — like most technologies — are ethically and morally neutral. Their use is not. The old saying “with great power comes great responsibility” applies here. The two — power and responsibility — must come together. If the latter is a “learning process” long after the power has been deployed, then it’s already too late.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.

Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@ theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN

Sen. darline Graham, R-S.C., speaks as President donald Trump listens at a campaign rally for Graham at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Friday. ter tapped Darline Graham to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term through January. She was to be an uncontroversial placeholder for a short time, during which a special election for the seat would be held. Trump had more ambitious plans, however. He asked Graham to run for her brother’s seat, and in what must have been an emotion-fueled fugue state, she said yes. Suddenly, a real primary race was on with multiple Republican candidates. Still, it was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grab a rarely open Senate seat. Forget Donald Trump, in other words. The race came down to three leading candidates: Graham, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, the last of whom Trump had previously said he could support for the Senate seat. (Sorry, Rusty.) Graham ﬁnished ahead of the other two in the Aug. 11 election, but she didn’t win a majority and now faces Norman in a runoff on Tuesday. Fry, ever the good sport and a reliable Trump pleaser, quickly endorsed Graham. Some South Carolinians have expressed their disapproval on social media of Trump’s meddling, with many noting that Senate seats shouldn’t be inherited and questioning Graham’s qualiﬁcations. But their angst may be inadequate to counter pro-Graham super PACs, such as Palmetto Action, which spent $1.26 million targeting

Norman after the primary. Norman, a commercial real estate developer and vice chair of the U.S. House Freedom Caucus, has minimal outside help and is using about $800,000 in personal loans to boost his campaign. A ﬁscal conservative, he emphasizes reducing federal spending. Few people had ever heard of Darline Graham before her brother’s death, and she remains something of an enigma, despite a few public appearances and television ads. Some vaguely know that she’s an optician who also worked in various state agencies, and that she’s a mother, grandmother and advocate for people with disabilities. If they tuned in to her recent debate with Norman, they would also know that she’s nothing like her brother. When Newsmax anchor Greta Van Susteren asked her whether Taiwan and the South China Sea were important to national security, the senator candidly said: “I’m just going to be honest here. I’m not that informed on national security.” Her vow to preserve her brother’s legacy while pushing for her own priorities creates a ﬁne line she now must walk. But, in all honesty, her candidacy seems like a spoof — Trumpian in its audacity and absurd in its sentimentality. It’s almost enough to make a person want to secede from the state. Kathleen Parker is on X, @kathleenparker.

Back to school 2026-27 looks different School Choice is sweeping the When I attended a much different country, except in some states run by public school in suburban Maryland, Democrats who are beholden to there was a public service anthe teachers’ unions and their nouncement on TV that asked: political donations. They favor “It’s 10 o’clock. Do you know “choice” when it comes to aborwhere your children are?” I was usually in bed at that tion but deny it to poor children hour on “school nights,” but in underperforming public that question might be put a difschools. For parents who might Cal struggle with the cost of private ferent way today: “It’s 9 a.m. Do Thomas schools, especially in states that you know what your children won’t allow this option, a new are being taught?” federal law might help. Many parents don’t have a clue what It’s called the Federal Scholarship is being fed into their children’s minds and spirits, or they learn after the fact. Tax Credit (FSTC), also known as the We’ve seen the news reports of parents Education Freedom Tax Credit. Startshowing up at school board meetings to ing Jan. 1, taxpayers will be able to complain, but usually after the fact and claim a dollar-for-dollar federal tax with little effect. credit of up to $1,700 annually for Most people are familiar with the de- donations to qualiﬁed programs that grant scholarships. It even allows rebates over transgender athletes on female sports teams and in girls’ locker ligious schools to participate and will rooms, gender identity and other social pay for tuition, tutoring, technology, subjects. How many parents know transportation and services for chilabout subjects being taught that come dren with special needs. from a secular-progressive worldview? According to David Bass of the PhiAccording to the National Assesslanthropy Roundtable, “More than two ment of Education Progress (known as dozen states have already opted in, and additional states are under pressure the Nation’s Report Card), nine-yearold children are doing better in reading to follow. If fully implemented across the country, the program would cover and math than children their age in roughly 90% of K-12 students.” previous years, but older children (13 This is where philanthropy can do and up), who came through the disruptions of the COVID pandemic, continue some of its best work. Bass believes the next 18 months are crucial to the to stagnate in those subjects.

The danger of Flock cameras is one we all must reckon with

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the

writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor, The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com.

TO SENd US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

4B ● Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

Three sentenced in fatal drive-by shooting Judge hands down decades for killing of 14-year-old BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Three people were each sentenced to decades behind bars for their roles in the fatal drive-by shooting of a 14-year-old boy who was walking with a group of teens to Domino’s. Dylan Thomas Fox, Yusef Wesley Jr. and Asia Jones each had previously pleaded guilty to reduced charges in connection with Eric Taylor’s death. Taylor was walking with others

in the 3300 block of Plank Road just before 8 p.m. Nov. 13, 2024. A vehicle pulled up alongside the group and someone opened fire. Taylor was struck in the upper body and died at the hospital two days later. Another juvenile was shot and survived her injuries. She told police the teenagers had been on their way to get pizza. Police said at the time that the drive-by sparked retaliatory shootings across Baton Rouge. A witness was able to identify

the 2013 Honda Accord involved in the shooting. From the owner of the vehicle, investigators were able to learn the identities of the three people in the car: Fox and Wesley, both 19 at the time of the shooting, and Jones, then 18. Fox was arrested ﬁrst, and originally booked on counts of firstdegree murder, attempted second-degree murder, illegal use of a weapon and assault by drive-by shooting, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department.

TRIAL

AMOEBA

Continued from page 1B infection cannot spread from person to person. Naegleria fowleri is found in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, canals and ponds throughout the U.S. The amoeba becomes dangerous in water that stays over 77 degrees F and for years

more than 20 years old. Kovacs said the fact that the public hadn’t known about the controversy for so long made it more newsworthy, not less. He said voters, families with other custody cases before Hughes and other litigants didn’t know what had happened over all those years because the judicial disciplinary process kept it secret. Kovacs added that Hughes walked out of the second meeting, and said had the justice been clearer about what he wanted corrected, the eventual clarification might have come sooner. In rebuttal testimony after the newspaper rested its case Monday, Hughes said his main desire for a correction centered on his reading that the editorial claimed he ruled on a case in which his then-girlfriend was an attorney. He again said he didn’t do that, and the relationship began around Christmas time 1998. Last week, Hughes testiﬁed that his reputation was harmed by the editorial. Attorneys for The Advocate challenged Hughes on cross-examination, focusing attention on his run-ins with the Judiciary Commission. They also called witnesses who testified Hughes has inserted himself into cases in lower courts while he sits on the state’s highest bench, raising questions about abuse of power. Questioned by Sternberg, Baton Rouge lawyer David Bienvenu Jr. recounted

has been seen almost exclusively in the summer in the southern part of the country. A few recent cases have appeared in Maryland, Indiana and Minnesota, scientists said. “The amoeba is naturally occurring, and there is no routine environmental test for Naegleria fowleri in bodies of water,” the Louisiana Department of Health stated.

a 2022 conversation with Hughes. Bienvenu said Hughes had advance knowledge on how his fellow justices on the Supreme Court were going to rule on a pretrial matter in his defamation case against The Advocate. Months after Hughes sued The Advocate, he also sued a judicial system activist, claiming she defamed him in a letter to the editor in The Advocate about the stories on him. Bienvenu represented the activist. Made public ﬁve days after Hughes’ conversation with Bienvenu, the Supreme Court decision allowed his defamation case against The Advocate to proceed. Bienvenu testified that, armed

Continued from page 1B and the mayor never signed anything.” The language used in the failed resolution would have authorized Ritter to execute the application in question, with no specific reference to Broussard or Youngsville police ofﬁcials. However, several Youngsville officials, including Ritter, said Broussard circumvented the process by submitting the application after the council rejected the request. Ritter characterized the

Email Quinn Coffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

council’s action as tabling the matter until additional information could be provided. “When the council votes to table an item pending additional information, I believe that process should be respected,” Ritter said in a written statement given to the Acadiana Advocate. “I support accreditation. My concern is not the goal; it’s the process.” The accreditation commission does not determine whether local governments must obtain approval from elected officials before submitting an application. Those requirements vary by state and municipality.

any of the attorney’s cases that moments after the call, before the Supreme Court. he sent an email about it to Bienvenu said he was of- Sternberg, which jurors fended by the call, noting were allowed to see. Bienvenu said he wouldn’t Hughes was sitting on the Supreme Court while speak- have sent that email absent ing about a case before that such a conversation with court in which he was a pri- Hughes. “There would have been vate litigant. “There has to be separa- nothing to document,” he tions of these things. I didn’t said. During his rebuttal testithink it was right,” Bienvenu said. mony Monday, Hughes deSternberg told Bienvenu nied trying to use leverage the judge had testiﬁed that against Bienvenu. He said he hadn’t called him to share he learned about the ruling advance information about in advance from a standard the Supreme Court decision. distribution list sent to the Sternberg asked Bienvenu if justices a few days before STAFF PHOTO By dAVId the judge had lied. he spoke to Bienvenu. J. MITCHELL Bienvenu replied the justice’s testimony was “not David J. Mitchell can be with advance knowledge, true,” asserting the phone reached at dmitchell@ Hughes told him he’d be call happened and noting theadvocate.com. willing to settle the letter-tothe-editor case for $25,000. “I’m being told about the outcome of something at the Supreme Court and then being told by a Supreme Court justice that he’ll take $25,000 to go away,” Bienvenu testiDue to the Labor Day Holiday, our offices will be ﬁed. closed Monday, Sept. 7th, 2026. Because Bienvenu was Venable’s attorney, Hughes EARLY DEADLINES FOR OBITUARIES was recused from ruling on

The Advocate’s Obituary Department Labor Day Holiday Hours

DEADLINE

RUNDATE

SATURDAY 9/5 @ 3 PM

LOTTERY

SUNDAY,AUG. 23, 2026 PICK 3: 7-4-2 PICK 4: 6-7-2-0 PICK 5: 8-2-5-0-8

SUNDAY 9/6 MONDAY 9/7 TUESDAY 9/8

Email obits@theadvocate.com

Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

or call 225-388-0289

.theacadianaadvocate.com Employment

THE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT will be closed on MONDAY NDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th

Pets

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Positions Available: * Accounting * Bookkeeper * Account Coordinator * Finance * Payroll Officer * Sales Representatives * Customer Service * Business Admin Representative

in observance of

As part of our ongoing expansion, we are seeking part-time, work-fromhome candidates. The position offers a monthly salary of $1,300, in addition to benefits, and requires minimal time commitment. The role involves just 2-3 hours of internet access per week. Requirements: * Must be computer literate * Must have 2-3 hours of internet access per week * Must be efficient and dedicated Interested candidates may reach out via email at michelle.appliedit@gmail.com for further information

NEWS 24/7 ON

Public Notices

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

POLICE

an additional 30-year suspended sentence, to be added to his time if he fails to complete ﬁve years of supervised probation following his release. Fox was sentenced to 35 years in prison on charges of manslaughter and attempted second-degree murder. Jones received 20 years for conspiracy to commit seconddegree murder and two years for principal to illegal use of weapons, which will run at the same time.

The Advocate defense attorney Scott Sternberg leaves the Iberville Parish Courthouse in Plaquemine on Aug. 17 after the jury selection and opening statements in a defamation trial against the newspaper and two of its retired editors.

Continued from page 1B to truth and the administration of justice. Heitman said the editorial board found that apology letter “remarkable.” “I’d never seen anything like that,” he said. A key issue in the trial has been the timing of Hughes’ romantic relationship with the attorney, Berkley Durbin. Hughes claims the relationship didn’t start until after Durbin removed herself in late August 1998 from representing the mother. Durbin continued to represent the mother’s new husband in a criminal case arising from alleged abuse of the boy, according to evidence at trial, and Hughes eventually ruled for the mother in March 1999. Hughes took the stand in the trial, denying having ruled on any of Durbin’s cases while they were romantically involved. He testified their relationship didn’t start until after she withdrew from the custody case. On Monday, Peter Kovacs, editor of The Advocate at the time of the editorial, testiﬁed that he and others met with Hughes twice, first in an off-therecord setting. Kovacs testiﬁed that among the three corrections the justice sought, Hughes focused on the word “presided” in the description of his role in the custody case. The editorial said Hughes had “presided over a controversial custody case while he was, according to several people, romantically involved with one of its lawyers.” Kovacs stood by the use of that word because although Hughes didn’t rule for the mother while Durbin was her lawyer, he had participated in a status conference while Durbin was on the case. Kovacs also countered criticism by an expert witness for Hughes earlier in the trial about the newspaper’s reporting on a case

He told police that Jones had driven the car and that Wesley had fired at the group in the road using a handgun with a laser-pointed sight. Surveillance footage secured by police showed more than one shooter, however. Wesley was booked on counts of first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, illegal use of a weapon and assault by driveby shooting. Jones was booked on multiple counts of principal to first-degree murder. Wesley was sentenced to reduced charges of manslaughter and obstruction of justice, receiving a 15-year sentence with

PUBLIC NOTICE --MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING HELD AT SCOTT CITY HALL THURSDAY, August 13, 2026, AT 6:00 PM The City Council met in regular session on Thurs‐ day, August 13, 2026. Mayor and all council members were present. Councilman Domingue the prayer and led Pledge of Allegiance. Councilman Montoucet moved to approve the minutes of the July 2, 2026, meeting as written. Seconded by Councilman Roy, the motion was ap‐ proved unanimously. Councilman Roy moved to accept the June 2026 ﬁnancial statement. Sec‐ onded by Councilman Goodwin, the motion car‐ ried unanimously. Mr. Mark Savoy of Groom’s Engineering and Mr. Mason Macaluso of Fenstermaker & Associ‐ ates gave a brief update i j

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $1500up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150

ORDER PAGE REPRINTS ANYTIME

STORE.THEADVOCATE.COM Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

g p on ongoing projects. Richard an‐ Mayor nounced numerous up‐ coming events that are all listed on our city web‐ site and social media pages. Mayor Richard also read a letter in ref‐ erence to the Fire Depart‐ ment. Candidate for District Court Judge Division I, Mr. David Way asked for support in the upcoming November 3rd, 2026 elec‐ tion. Mr. Justin Centanni, Lafayette Parish Tax As‐ sessor was present to re‐ port about the recent satellite locations set up at City Hall for residents and to report that the City of Scott had a four increase in percent value. Councilman Moreau read Resolution 2026-20 aloud. Councilman Moreau mo‐ tioned to adopt millage rate of 4.320. No ques‐ tions or comments from the public. Seconded by Councilman Montoucet motion carried unani‐ mously. Councilman Goodwin motioned to approve the annual Louisiana Compli‐ ance Report. No discus‐ sion. Seconded by Coun‐ cilman Domingue, mo‐ i i d i

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

tion carried mously.

unani‐

Councilman Roy mo‐ tioned to adopt Resolu‐ tion 2026-21, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Scott, Lafayette parish, Louisiana to ap‐ point a commissioner to ﬁll the unexpired term of Yolanda Senegal to the Scott Planning/ Zoning Commission. Mr. Steve Gervais was selected to fulﬁl the term. Mr. Ger‐ vais will be sworn in at the next Planning Com‐ mission meeting. Coun‐ cilman Goodwin sec‐ onded the motion, car‐ ried unanimously.

LABOR DAY

And will be observing the following Early Deadline: Deadline: Display Ads Thursday 9/3 @ 3pm

Run Date Tuesday 9/8 Wednesday 9/9

As always, you may place your ad 7 days a week, 24 hours a day online at www.theadvocate.com or call Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

(225) 383-0111 Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

g that the Supreme Court increased the rate from $3.00 to $7.00 per ﬁne col‐ lected which was passed down to all municipali‐ ties. Ordinance 2026-9 will be up for adoption at the next regular council meeting schedule for September 3rd, 2026 at 6pm.

Councilman Montoucet motioned to adopt Reso‐ lution 2026-22, A Resolu‐ tion of the Scott City adopting the Council Lafayette Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan 2026. No discussion. Seconded by Domingue, Councilman motion carried unani‐ mously.

Councilman Roy intro‐ duced Ordinance 2026-10, An Ordinance authoriz‐ ing the issuance of not exceeding twenty million ($20,000,000) of Taxable Sales Tax Bonds (DEQ) of the City of Scott, State of Louisiana, and providing for other matters in con‐ nection therewith. Mayor Richard explained that this loan was the second phase of the construc‐ tion of the new sewer plant. Ordinance 2026-10 will be up for adoption at the next regular council meeting schedule for September 3rd, 2026 at 6pm.

Councilman Montoucet Ordinance introduced 2026-9, An Ordinance amending appendix C of the Scott Municipal Code to revise, enact and adopt ﬁnes and penalties for trafﬁc and misde‐ meanor violations com‐ mitted within the corpo‐ rate limits of the City of Scott. Chief Leger stated h h

Councilman Moreau in‐ Ordinance troduced 2026-11, An Ordinance to amend the Scott Munici‐ pal Code to add sections to Chapter 10 Article II. – Occupational Licensing. No discussion. Ordinance 2026-11 will be up for adoption at the next reg‐ council meeting ular schedule for September d

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

3rd, 2026 at 6pm.

Public Notices Successions

Councilman Montoucet motioned to amend the budget in the amount of $16,000 from LACE funds for ten patrol laptops. Chief Leger stated that the last time laptops were purchased in 2019. Seconded by Councilman Domingue, motion car‐ ried unanimously. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned. ____________________ Jan-Scott Richard, Mayor ____________________ Shelley M. Gautreau, City Clerk 198318 Aug. 25 1t $77.61

Public Notices Successions

1. The immovable estate home and property lo‐ cated at 311 Sunny Lane, Louisiana Lafayette, 70506, Being the same property acquired by Mary C. Briggs by Cash Sale from Jeanie Slay Mellinger dated April 29, 1994, recorded on May 2, 1994, under instrument no. 1994-00016195 of the records of public Louisiana.; Lafayette, and 2. All movables within the estate home at 311 Sunny Lane, consisting of home furnishings, deco‐ rations, and kitchenware. Any objections to the sale of the above prop‐ erty can be ﬁled with the Judicial District 15th – Parish of Court Lafayette under probate docket number 20250640, pursuant to LA C.C.P. art 3282. 198202 Aug. 22 to Sept. 20, 30t $456.60

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE Administrator for the Succession of Mary Fern Cobb Briggs gives notice of his intent to sell via private sale, the follow‐ ing:

PRINT ADVERTISING WORKS

OFFICIAL NEWS PARTNER OF THE LOUISIANA RAGIN’ CAJUNS

SPORTS

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

T u e s d ay, au g u s T 25, 2026

C L E M S O N A T L S U • 6 : 3 0 P. M . S E P T . 5 • A B C

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By MATT ROURKE

dae’Quan Wright runs a drill during practice for the Philadelphia Eagles at their training facility on June 9. After the Cleveland Browns cut him this week, Wright is expected to join the LSU Tigers if he clears waivers.

‘Unique’ career path Kiffin defends LSU adding ‘NFL players’ to its roster

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Lane Kiffin was asked a simple question. He took a step back, cleared his throat and wiped his nose before acknowledging that the query itself was a good one. “Coach, how comfortable are you with NFL players coming back to college?” For decades, the question of whether professional players ever would return to college football wasn’t a question at all. The NFL had been a player’s ultimate goal. That’s where they’d find their big paydays, win Super Bowls and earn national acclaim. That was at least the case until Monday, when Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright officially was placed on waivers, a move that opened the door for the former Ole Miss player to return to college and transfer to LSU. Wright’s agents on Monday told ESPN that he

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

ä See LSU, page 3C LSU head coach Lane Kiffin watches during a preseason practice on Friday.

1CN

Kiffin willing to take barbs for LSU’s benefit As a football coach, Lane Kiffin makes a pretty compelling litigator. Maybe that’s because he’s spent most of his adult life being tried, convicted and acquitted in the court of public opinion. On Monday, Kiffin and LSU had a seat at the defendant’s table yet again with national debate raging over news that the Tigers were about Scott to land former Ole Miss/ Rabalais Virginia Tech/Philadelphia Eagles/Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright. This after bringing in former Notre Dame defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka on Friday and before reportedly receiving a commitment later Monday from former Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Harris was recently cut by the Saints. If all this sounds like it’s coming straight from Bizarro World, join the club. Or, in this case, the jury box. LSU and its still under warranty football coach are once again at the center of a controversial story: Should schools be allowed to bring back athletes who have had professional experience? Kiffin is used to the heat. During a Monday news conference, he made oblique references to his past firings/ departures with the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Volunteers, USC Trojans and Ole Miss, which he left on the altar of the College Football Playoff. “I’ve learned to love my story,” Kiffin said. He even loves bringing back a player like Harris, who after Ole Miss beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (a CFP quarterfinal game) took his chance to fire a broadside at Kiffin. “All he’s been trying to do is steal our shine,” Harris said. “He was trying to be a troll. We’re going to troll him. We got something for him.” Well, Harris still has something for Kiffin. An experienced player at a position of need, just like Tuihalamaka and Wright and probably some other players as well. Players who may have been or will soon be waived by their NFL teams. Past insults need not matter when there are football games to be won. Kiffin made his case for pursuing

ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

Undrafted Saints running back Donaldson welcomes contact BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By BRAd KEMP

UL linebackers Conor McPherson, left, and Micah Johnson have been two of the standouts on the Cajuns defense in camp.

Desormeaux gives injury updates for UL football BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

ä Lamar at UL,

7 P.M. SEPT. 5, ESPN+

UL’s August camp officially Tight end Brock Chappell and ended with Saturday’s second defensive tackle Brodrick Stewscrimmage. Coach Michael Desormeaux art were the most serious of the was pleased with the effort, but injuries. there was unfortunate injury ä See UL, page 3C news.

One of the few bright moments in the New Orleans Saints blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday in SoFi Stadium happened when backup quarterback Spencer Rattler scanned the ﬁeld and found noä Saints body available. at Cowboys, So Rattler 7 P.M. FRIdAy, KATC w h i p p e d h i s head to his left and found his outlet, undrafted rookie running back C.J. Donaldson, available in the ﬂat. Donaldson caught the pass and then did the rest, leaving quickly closing defensive back Nyzier Fourqurean in the dust with a juke and bowling through a feeble tackle attempt by safety Nick Anderson on his way to a 32-yard gain. Afterward, the thing on Donaldson’s mind was that he lost control of the football as he was being tackled. That it fell safely out of bounds did not seem to matter. “My mindset is one person can’t tackle me; you’re going to need two, three people to tackle me,” Donaldson said. “But at the end of

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By CAROLINE BREHMAN

Saints running back C.J. donaldson carries during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday in Inglewood, Calif. the day, I don’t like the ﬁnish of the play. I don’t like that I lost the ball.” The Ohio State product (by way of West Virginia) made the most of his 21 offensive snaps in the loss. Donaldson rushed three times for 15 yards and added four receptions for 51 yards — tallying both the longest run (9 yards) and recep-

tion (32) for the Saints in the game. He also was on the ﬁeld for 50% of New Orleans’ special teams snaps. “I’m excited to see C.J. more and more,” coach Kellen Moore said. “He’s had some good exposure so far through the preseason for us.

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

2C ● Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

CYCLING 7:30 a.m. UCI: Vuelta a España NBCSN LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES Noon Tijuana vs. TBd ESPN 2 p.m. Tacoma vs. TBd ESPN

4 p.m. 6 p.m.

TBd vs. Seoul TBd vs. Bayonne MLB 6:15 p.m. L.A. dodgers at Atlanta 8:40 p.m. Philadelphia at Seattle MEN’S SOCCER 11 a.m. Al Khaleej at Abha

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

ESPN ESPN TBS MLBN FS2

12:45 p.m. Al Nassr at Al Ettifaq TENNIS 9 a.m. U.S. Open Qualifying 1 p.m. U.S. Open Qualifying WNBA 7 p.m. Portland at dallas

FS2 ESPN2 Tennis NBATV

SAINTS NOTEBOOK

N.O. signs veteran kicker Carlson Injuries galore

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

With roster cuts due in less than a week, the New Orleans Saints are shaking up their kicker competition. The Saints are signing veteran kicker Daniel Carlson, the team announced. The deal comes after the Saints’ other kickers — Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown — have struggled throughout camp, with both missing a ﬁeld goal attempt in the preseason. “Daniel’s a really talented kicker,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “He’s had a lot of success in this league, and we feel like there’s worthy opportunities there for the competition, to get him involved here. We’ll anticipate him trying to kick here on Wednesday, and we’ll go from there.” Carlson, 31, is a two-time AllPro, but his accuracy has dipped in recent years. The former Las Vegas Raiders kicker made 81% (22 of 27) of his ﬁeld goal attempts in 2025, down from 2024’s 85% (34 of 40). Still, Carlson adds veteran experience to the room and has a big leg. He made a 60-yard attempt last season, a career high. He was named as an All-Pro in 2021 and 2022. He spent eight seasons with the Raiders after briefly beginning his career in Minnesota. The Raiders released Carlson in March to sign Matt Gay instead. Moore, who said the Saints plan to carry three kickers on the roster for the rest of the preseason, said the Saints had held “dialogue” with Carlson throughout the offseason, paving the way for Monday’s deal. “I feel like this would be a good opportunity for him,” Moore said. “We felt good about where we were at with those two young guys. But we felt like at this time, adding a third guy would be valuable for us. “We’ll just let the next few days

ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO By RICK SCUTERI

Las Vegas Raiders kicker daniel Carlson is seen during a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 13, 2021, in Las Vegas. The Saints announced they are signing Carlson, a two-time All-Pro. take its course. We’ll have a really good day on Wednesday with kicking at practice and then transition to Friday’s (preseason) game (against the Dallas Cowboys).”

Trade news Deion Jones’ homecoming didn’t last long. The New Orleans Saints traded the veteran linebacker Sunday to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for running back Zamir White. The trade comes three weeks after the Saints signed the Jesuit grad. But Sunday’s trade helps the Saints at a position recently decimated by injuries. The only other healthy backs for Friday’s preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys would have been Travis Etienne, Kendre Miller and undrafted C.J. Donaldson. Moore has also not said whether he plans to play

The unfortunate injury bug keeps on biting. More than 20 players missed Monday’s walkthrough, including several new absences that will keep them out for an extended period. Moore said after the session that tight end Moliki Matavao (knee), running back Ty Chandler (knee) and rookie cornerback Lorenzo Styles (calf) are dealing with injuries on the more serious side. New Orleans, too, placed cornerback Rejzohn Wright on injured reserve as he’ll undergo season-ending hip surgery, Moore said. The Saints are also collecting more information on running back Devin Neal’s hamstring injury after he reaggravated the issue during Saturday’s preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The following players did not participate in the walkthrough: WR Jordyn Tyson (hamstring), WR Trey Palmer (undisclosed), WR Mason Tipton (leg), WR Bub Means (hamstring), Neal (hamstring), Wright (hip), cornerback Quincy Riley (groin), Chandler (knee), Styles (calf), CB Dalys Beanum (undisclosed), RB Alvin Kamara (knee), G Cesar Ruiz (ankle), DT Christen Miller (shoulder), LB Chris Rumph (ankle), DT Brien Taylor (stinger), OL Torricelli Simpkins (concussion), T Barry Wesley (undisclosed), Matavao (knee), TE Oscar Delp (hamstring), DE Cam Jordan (hamstring) and DT John Ridgeway (foot). New acquisitions White and Carlson were not yet in attendance. In good news, the Saints did see running back Audric Estime (foot) return to practice Monday. Despite the long list of injuries, Moore said he has yet to decide if the Saints will play their starters in Friday’s preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys.

the team’s starters, which would make Etienne unavailable. In White, the Saints pick up a running back who spent his ﬁrst four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 26-year-old has appeared in 45 games with nine starts, rushing for 736 yards on 198 attempts. White signed with the 49ers in the offseason but is now headed to New Orleans. For Jones, he’ll reunite with 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris — his coach in Atlanta, where the linebacker starred to begin his career. But he’ll ofﬁcially miss out on an opportunity to complete his tour around the NFC South as he’s played for the Falcons, Panthers and Buccaneers. Then again, he faced long odds to make the roster, which could explain why the Saints felt com- Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com fortable making the trade.

Browns name Watson as starting QB over Sanders BY JOE REEDY

1,” Watson said. After facing Jacksonville, the Browns are at Tampa Bay on Sept. 20 to face former Browns quarterback Baker Mayﬁeld, who was released after Cleveland traded for Watson. The Browns’ ﬁrst home game is Sept. 27 against Carolina.

Associated Press

BEREA, Ohio — Not many gave Deshaun Watson a chance of reclaiming the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback spot over the past 22 months. Since Watson ruptured his right Achilles the first time in a Week 7 game in 2024, owner Jimmy Haslam said during last year’s owners meetings that the Browns “took a big swing and miss” when they sent three first-round picks to Houston for the controversial quarterback in 2022. After Shedeur Sanders had a solid first half in last Saturday’s 31-7 loss to Buffalo, a frustrated Watson said the boos from the crowd were “personal” and showed “disrespect” after he took the field in Cleveland for the first time in 22 months. Despite the hurdles and a close competition with Sanders, Watson will be the Browns starting quarterback for their Sept. 13 opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coach Todd Monken made the announcement on Monday after informing both Watson and Sanders. “I took in the full body of work over the course of the offseason to training camp to the games, the joint practice, and ultimately felt like to start the season on the road, Deshaun gave us the best chance to move the ball and score points. I mean, that’s really what it’s about,” Monken said. “I felt that way going into the last game, but wasn’t sure. And after we talked as a staff and we re-looked at everything, we’re going to go that direction.” Watson, a 10-year veteran, won the competition over Sanders as both split reps with the first unit throughout the offseason, training camp and the preseason.

Sanders’ improvement

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By CAROLyN KASTER

Cleveland Browns quarterback deshaun Watson warms up before a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday in Cleveland.

his time in Cleveland and have put a lot of support behind Sanders since he was selected last year after dropping to the fifth round. Monken reiterated that fan sentiment and Watson’s comments did not play a role in his decision. Watson completed 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and an interception while on the field with players at the bottom of the roster who likely will be cut in a couple of weeks. “Ultimately the fans want us to win. That’s our job as coaches, why we’re hired to try and put the best product on the field. And when we don’t, then I understand their frustration. But ultimately they don’t decide who plays. I mean, who would I be if I let someone outside of the building decide who plays?” Monken said. Watson has started only 19 games for Cleveland since being acquired from Houston in 2022 and signing a fully guaranteed, $230 million contract that will perhaps go down as one of the worst trades and contracts in NFL history. He is 9-10 with the Browns with 19 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer Critical fans rating. In 2022, Watson missed the first The decision will not be popular with Browns fans, who have 11 games because of a league susbooed Watson repeatedly during pension resulting from his alleged

sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. He made six starts in 2023 before a seasonending shoulder injury and started seven in 2024 before the ﬁrst of two Achilles tendon injuries. After Monken’s announcement, Watson took responsibility for his comments by saying his emotions got the better of him. “I’m not a big talker anyway. I think people that know me and around the organization, I just felt like it was what was on my heart,” he said. “It was never intended to go at a certain person, fan base or a certain crowd. It was just, this is how I feel. And once I got it off my chest, I felt better and now I can move forward from it.” Watson completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards and directed two scoring drives working with other starters and the second team during the ﬁrst half of the preseason opener at Chicago. “There’s a lot of things, too, that me and (Monken) talking personally that we haven’t showcased. We haven’t showcased my full talent and ability to run in his offense. Being able to run, getting outside the pocket, being able to do some other QB-driven stuff. So I’m excited to see what we can cook up, getting ready for Week

Sanders has shown steady improvement throughout the offseason. He started the final seven games of his rookie season, going 3-4 with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Sanders went 9 of 11 for 74 yards with a touchdown and interception during the first half against the Bills. Sanders completed his first eight passes before he was picked off by Damar Hamlin on a pass he threw behind tight end Jermaine Terry. He was 6 of 11 for 79 yards with an interception in the second half against the Bears. Sanders’ biggest improvement is his ability to stand in the pocket as well as move up when he needs to, along with better footwork and decision making. Even though Sanders will be on the sideline for the opener, he is likely to start at some point this season. “I think he has come to understand the long game. What are we really in this for? What am I in it for? To have the Browns be an organization that people aspire to be. The long game. Where do we want to be in the long term? And he understands that as well as a quarterback,” Monken said. “We met this morning for a good long time and all he had was a smile on his face because he understands what really is in front of him. He’s going to work his butt off to get better.” Watson and Sanders will not play in Thursday’s final preseason game against the New England Patriots. Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green will get the snaps as they compete for the third QB spot.

Texans acquire WR Boutte to fill injured Higgins’ spot

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans acquired wide receiver Kayshon Boutte from the New England Patriots on Monday. Boutte, a former LSU standout, conﬁrmed the deal on social media before either team announced it. According to multiple reports, Houston sent safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round draft pick to the Patriots. The move comes after No. 2 receiver Jayden Higgins tore an ACL in a joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday. Boutte, a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, had 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns last season. The Patriots had a logjam at the position after trading for receiver A.J. Brown in June and signing Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $68 million contract in March.

Panthers expect Hubbard to be ready for opener

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers starting running back Chuba Hubbard is expected to be ready for the team’s Sept. 13 season opener against the Chicago Bears, coach Dave Canales said Monday. Hubbard strained his hamstring earlier this month in training camp and has yet to play in a preseason game while working his way back to full strength. Canales said Hubbard is progressing well. His speed is there, but the team has been reluctant to put him in contact drills. Hubbard ran for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, but a calf injury limited him to 511 yards and one score last season. Hubbard is expected to share carries with Jonathon Brooks, a former second-round draft pick who has struggled with knee injuries.

Penix joins Falcons drills as comeback continues

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Michael Penix opened Monday’s practice by taking the ﬁrst snap at quarterback in his initial exposure to team drills this preseason. It’s too early to know what that means for Penix’s chances to take the ﬁrst regular-season snap for the Atlanta Falcons. Coach Kevin Stefanski wasn’t looking ahead to the quarterback competition or even Friday night’s final preseason game at Miami. Stefanski said he was focused only on seeing Penix make it through Monday’s practice, the latest step in the QB’s recovery from the injury to his left knee that ended his 2025 season. If Penix plays at Miami on Friday night, it would launch his muchanticipated competition with Tua Tagovailoa for the starting job.

Astros parting ways with general manager Brown

HOUSTON — General manager Dana Brown and the Houston Astros have mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced Monday, when it was tied for ﬁrst place in the AL West. Brown’s contract was set to expire at the end of the season. Senior adviser Jeff Bagwell and assistant general managers Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff will take over Brown’s responsibilities while team owner Jim Crane will oversee baseball operations during the transition. The move comes after the Astros went 3-6 on a homestand that ended Sunday to fall into a tie with the Texas Rangers for the AL West lead. Brown had been the team’s general manager since January 2023.

Freshman Brandon named Vols’ starting quarterback

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Coach Josh Heupel will start Faizon Brandon at quarterback when No. 20 Tennessee opens the season on Sept. 5 against Furman, the second true freshman ever to start a season for the Volunteers and the ﬁrst since 2004. How long Brandon stays in the job depends on how he plays. “We named him the starter because we believe in the work that he has put in and how he’s continued to grow and play throughout training camp and the second week through the second scrimmage,” Heupel said Monday. “He’s earned that right. But just like every position you can consistently evaluate.”

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ● 3C

lll

LSU

to which Wright belonged. “The judge found that these players should have been told and should have known that they were going to be eligible for a ﬁfth year, which every player moving forward, every athlete in all sports has,” Kiffin, the LSU head coach, said Monday. “They should’ve known that in December when they were making decisions. Had they known that, they would’ve stayed (in college).” Along with Wright (who played under Kiffin for two years), the Tigers also landed a commitment from Notre Dame edge rusher Junior Tuihalamaka and, according to multiple reports, are on track to add former

Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Both players had gained an extra year of eligibility through the court ruling. Tuihalamaka never signed with an NFL team after his four seasons in South Bend, but Harris had signed with the New Orleans Saints after going undrafted. He was released by the team before the Louisiana temporary restraining order, in part because of a foot injury. The Saints did not know that Harris intended to return to college prior to the team’s decision to release him, coach Kellen Moore said. “Obviously, we were in a unique situation with him

we’ve made the decision to recruit them, like most people are.” Kiffin also defended the athletes for their decision to return to college sports for a fifth season, calling the criticism they’ve received unjust. “I think there’s a lot of misinformation (where) a lot of people don’t understand why players are getting them,” Kiffin said. “It’s not because of some other reasons that people may think.” Kiffin doesn’t believe that Wright or Harris’ hope of returning to college sports will be a norm moving forward. The Louisiana temporary restraining order is a unique scenario within the

ever-changing landscape of college sports. But the fundamental question for Kiffin still remained: Does he think that NFL players should be allowed to return to college? “I think that situations are different,” Kifﬁn said. “In general, should NFL players come back to college? I believe … that answer should be no. I think that every circumstance should be looked at differently. “This is a very unique circumstance … this is not the many circumstances discussed over the years of professionals coming back. They did not know that they had (an extra) year.”

for you or someplace else around the country. So, we’ve made the decision to recruit them.” The argument against Kiffin is that once players turn pro and head to the NFL there should be no turning back. Kiffin’s counterargument is that had the Class of 2022 players known that they would have had a chance to play in 2026 — whether at their schools from this past season or new ones — many of them would have done so. I asked Kiffin on Monday whether he thought this was an eligibility wrinkle that would continue in the future, and he said he thought it would be a one-off thing. Considering how highly unpredictable and volatile college athletics has become, we’ll see how his prediction ages. There’s no guarantee these players will get to

penalty structure in place. Oops. Is LSU trying to exploit a loophole? Clearly. Did LSU help these athletes with their temporary restraining order filing? It appears likely. Is it Kiffin’s job to win? Absolutely. And taking a bloody nose for being out front on this doesn’t bother him a bit, considering all that he’s been through in his STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON career. “Any time someone is the LSU coach Lane Kiffin talks to school President Wade fi rst out of the gate with Rousse, left, and athletic director Verge Ausberry during something, here comes the practice on Aug. 14 at the LSU football complex. attention,” Kiffin said. “A lot of other people are trying the same thing. I believe my athletic directors meeting, play for LSU. There are job is to (benefit) LSU.” scheduled for Tuesday in court hearings ahead, and In a column this past week Birmingham, Alabama, in the case of Wright and I took a stance against the should be a hoot. Harris, the Southeastern fifth-year players. I’ll amend According to our former Conference has prohibited colleague Wilson Alexander that a bit now, having heard players from transferring Kiffin’s appeals court of from school to school within with On3.com, some SEC public opinion argument the SEC except in the Janu- members want to penalize ary transfer portal window. LSU. There’s one tiny prob- that these players are a special case. Players who left lem: There is currently no The SEC presidents and

school early and are trying to return to college, like basketball player RJ Luis who had a hearing Monday on his potential LSU eligibility, are a different matter. I don’t agree with assertions that Kiffin and LSU are ruining college football. College athletics, the schools, conferences and NCAA that run it put themselves in this position by not making monetary concessions to college athletes decades ago. They tried to hold onto all the money and are now paying a heavy price for their greed. Meanwhile, Kiffin is working the system systematically, day by day, taking the landmark changes as they come and trying to play them to his advantage. If he wins, he figures it will all be worth it. If he wins, it will be hard to argue.

He’s really well prepared, he knows what he’s doing, he brings value on special teams. He’s doing a nice job for us. He’ll certainly have some opportunities on Friday.” Donaldson has earned those opportunities in the last preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, but he’s also getting a longer look because of what has happened on the depth chart. Three Saints running backs — Alvin Kamara (knee), Devin Neal (hamstring) and Ty Chandler (knee) — are currently out with injuries. Another, Audric Estime, returned to practice Monday

after missing a week with an ankle injury. That leaves more work for Donaldson — and more opportunities to show what he can do in all facets of the game. “I was proud of him,” fellow running back Kendre Miller said of Donaldson’s preseason performance, mentioning that he wasn’t supposed to play that many snaps had it not been for Neal’s injury in the game. “The more and more opportunities he gets, he just keeps climbing and climbing.” There isn’t another back on the roster who looks like Donaldson, who is a powerfully built 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds. His playing style could never fully show in training camp or joint practices, where players are

not allowed to tackle to the ground, but his physical style has shown up in the preseason. That was true even on play calls that didn’t ultimately count, such as his secondeffort push for a 2-yard gain on a fourth and 1 that was wiped out by an illegal formation penalty. “I love contact,” Donaldson said. “That’s the edge that I have in this sport. Most people fade away from it, and that’s something I love.” Donaldson did plenty of that in college. Though he was recruited to West Virginia to play tight end, he amassed 40 rushing touchdowns in his college career, with at least 10 of them in each of his last three seasons. But Donaldson never

seem to dwell on his draft status or place on the depth chart. He said he tries to adhere to his old position coach’s advice to be where his feet are and to stick to the small details, because “what got me here is what’s going to keep me here.” “You’ve got to always live in the moment, because you

don’t get too many of these opportunities through your career,” Donaldson said. “You’ve got to sit there and enjoy it and clean up the mistakes.” He’ll get at least one more opportunity to build his case when the Saints close out their preseason against the Cowboys.

do a good job and manage his workload.”

matter what group we’ve put him in there with.”

Excited about LBs

Secondary shining

It seems like every time Desormeaux speaks about UL’s new crop of linebackers, he struggles to curb his excitement. “I’m really ﬁred up about that room,” he said. “It’s been fun to see the guys in that room compete day after day and to see them communicate and how well they’re doing things.” Topping that list is redshirt sophomore Conor McPherson, who skipped Saturday’s scrimmage and is expected to miss Tuesday’s ﬁrst practice back as well. “It’s kind of a nagging shoulder thing,” Desormeaux said of McPherson. “It’s not surgical, it’s nothing anything like that. We’re just kind of using an abundance of caution, so we kind of held him out.” The group also includes senior Jake St. Andre, redshirt sophomore Ethan Veal, redshirt junior Micah Johnson, senior Princeton Malbrue, and the true freshman duo of Harrison Kidder and Devin Franklin. “We’ve got some guys who can run sideline to sideline,” Desormeaux said. “The only ones that were a linebacker in high school was Malbrue and Jake. The others were safeties. “Like, Devin Franklin, he’s a young player and he’s not ready yet, but you can see the athleticism and the speed there. And with Harrison, I think everybody in our building is really excited about him. He’s physical, he’s fast and he’s smart. He’s handled everything no

The results were mixed in Saturday’s scrimmage. A bulk of the scrimmage was situational, focusing on overtime, goal line, and kickoff and punting scenarios. In the actual scrimmage part, quarterback Daniel Beale hit on all five of his passes for 58 yards in a possession that ended with a 10yard Anthony Reagan touchdown run. Lunch Winﬁeld was 3-of-5 passing for 41 yards, but he was picked off by St. Andre. Coleman Carter was 3-of-6 passing with an interception for 28 yards, while Sam Altmann was 2-of-5 passing for 28 yards. Redshirt junior Curley Reed had an interception and nearly pulled off a picksix. “Curley had a good day Saturday,” Desormeaux said. “He had a really good day Saturday, which is a good way for him to end camp. Now it’s just a matter of consistency in his play and his production. He’s got the tools to help us.” Desormeaux said little seemed to change on the depth charts at cornerback and safety during camp. Reed and Jeremiah Moses are fighting for time with expected starters Brent Gordon and Avery Demery at cornerback. At safety, the quartet of Kody Jackson, Collin Jacob, Lake Bates and Steven Ranel should all see time. “I think the guys we needed to play well have done a good job,” Desormeaux said.

Continued from page 1C intends to join the Tigers if another NFL team doesn’t claim him on the waiver wire. Wright’s decision to return to college comes after a Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA that granted Wright and 30-plus other athletes eligibility to play a fifth season this school year. The NCAA recently changed its rules to allow athletes to play ﬁve seasons in ﬁve years, but the rule did not apply to players from the 2022 high school class,

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C players who were in the high school Class of 2022 and were recently shut out of the NCAA’s new “five for five” eligibility rule. Players who have filed and received temporary injunction orders, like Harris and Wright. “We have made a decision to recruit some kids from around the country,” he said. “A group of players were granted a fifth year of eligibility from around the country in multiple sports. “Through them winning their injunction, they’re available to recruit. (LSU) and many places around the country are recruiting them. At the end of the day, because of these rulings they’re either going to play

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

Continued from page 1C “Brock and Brodrick didn’t ﬁnish the scrimmage,” Desormeaux said. “They’re going to see the doctors today. We’re hoping it’s not a long-term deal. They feel like Brock’s probably not as bad as Brodrick’s. We’re going to wait and see the imaging.” Also, defensive tackle Maxie Baudoin “did miss the scrimmage last week. It’s nothing major. It’s some stuff that he’s kind of been having and just a little bit of aggravation. We feel good about getting him back.” Desormeaux also provided an update on redshirt junior wide receiver Shelton Sampson, who missed all of camp with a bruised knee. “Shelton’s going to start working in some team reps this week, which is really good,” Desormeaux said. “We’ve got two weeks to get him back. He’s feeling good and looks really good. We’ve got to do a good job to manage his return to play.” Desormeaux addressed the tricky part of getting Sampson ready for the Sept. 5 season opener against Lamar. “I’d be lying if I said there’s no concern,” he said. “Timing and tempo and all that stuff and precision ... and just his conditioning. He’s done everything he can to stay in great shape and he’s been engaged. “But the only way to get in football shape is play football. So these next couple weeks will be big for him, and we’re going to have to

when he was coming off an injury,” Moore said. “So he never made it to the field with us. We spent some time with him, and obviously we made a transaction that we felt we needed to make.” Kiffin declined to speak on the specifics of why LSU wanted to add Wright, Tuihalamaka or Harris, but he wasn’t afraid to defend his decision to pursue the newly eligible players. As he put it, he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t try to land them. “At the end of the day, because of these rulings, either they’re going to play for you, or they’re going to play somewhere else around the country,” Kiffin said. “So

heard his name called in the draft. Though he had 10 rushing touchdowns in his lone season at Ohio State, he averaged only 3.8 yards per carry while ceding most of the carries to freshman Bo Jackson. Then he ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the combine. But Donaldson doesn’t

OVER 50? UNLIMITED FOR JUST $35/MONTH.

Backed by #1 Network Coverage and Customer Satisfaction.*

100% U.S. BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE. Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by ACSI®.*

FAST, RELIABLE NATIONWIDE COVERAGE. Ranked #1 in network coverage by ACSI®.*

Switch & Save Today.

844-238-7868

© 2026 Consumer Cellular, Inc. Terms and Conditions subject to change. Plans shown include $5 credit for AutoPay and E-billing. Taxes and other fees apply. Credit approval required for new service. Cellular service is not available in all areas and is subject to system limitations. For unlimited plans, high-speed data is reduced after 35GB on single-line plans and 50GB of combined usage on multi-line plans for the remainder of your billing cycle. Unlimited data plans only for customers age 50+. Age validation required. *2025 ACSI® Survey of customers rating their own wireless service provider. ACSI® and its logo are registered trademarks of the American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC. For more about the ACSI®, visit www.theacsi.org.

4C ● Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

PREP FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

2026 SCHEDULE Date

Opponent

Sept. 4 Sept. 11 Sept. 18 Sept. 25 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Oct 30 Nov. 6

Catholic-NI CATHOLIC-PC LOREAUVILLE Welsh WESTMINSTER-LAF Central Catholic JEANERETTE Centerville ASCENSION EPISCOPAL Hanson Memorial

Vermilion Catholic

PLAYERS TO WATCH Tre Hebert WR/DB, 6-3, 185, Jr. defensive coordinator Brett Blakey has another coach on the field in Hebert, who withstood the test when opponents tried to pick on him as a freshman cornerback. “Getting that experience on Friday nights really helped dealing with pressure,” Hebert said.

HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Cruz Hebert LB/WR, 5-10, 180, Jr. A talented pitcher in baseball, Hebert missed last football season when he was involved in a devastating off-thefield accident. “Trying to get used to being back out there and getting better each and every day,” he said.

PAST FIVE YEARS 2025: 5-6 2024: 14-0 (state champions) 2023: 12-1 2022: 13-1 (state runner-up) 2021: 8-4

PROJECTED STARTERS Offense WR Tre Hebert (6-3, 185, Jr.)* WR Henry Bertrand (5-9, 150, Jr.) WR Cruz Hebert (5-10, 180, Jr.) TE Kohen Hebert (6-0, 175, Sr.) LT Rayden Vice (6-1, 190, Jr.)* LG Maddox Primeaux (5-11, 195, Jr.)* C Andrew Lopez (6-0, 210, Sr.) RG Jesse Landry (5-10, 195, Sr.)* RT Carson Touchet (6-0, 205, Jr.)* QB Beckett Brantley (6-1, 175, So.) RB Ty LeBlanc (5-9, 160, Jr.) Defense dL Peyton Thomas (5-11, 170, So.) dL Jesse Landry (5-10, 195, Sr.) dL Rayden Vice (6-1, 190, Jr.) OLB Kohen Hebert (6-0, 175, Sr.)* OLB Cruz Hebert (5-10, 180, Jr.) MLB Maddox Primeaux (5-11, 195, Jr.)* MLB Andrew Lopez (6-0, 210, Sr.) CB Henry Bertrand (5-9, 150, Jr.) CB Tre Hebert (6-3, 180, Jr.)* SS Jacob dubois (5-8, 160, Sr.)* FS Ty LeBlanc (5-9, 160, Jr.)* * RETURNING STARTER

COACHES Head coach: Broc Prejean (60-13) Assistant coaches: Brett Blakey, Brodie Savoie, Jason Lopez, JP Bouillion, Bobby Mcdonald and Cameron Falke

PHOTO By MIKE COPPAGE

Vermilion Catholic defensive leaders include, from left, Tre Hebert, Cruz Hebert, Jacob dubois, Henry Bertrand and Ty LeBlanc.

“Brantley has been waiting in the wings,” Prejean said. “He’s taking things in stride and knows it’s a process Vermilion Catholic’s offensive philosophy, which begins (becoming the starting QB). We’re excited to see him with establishing the run, should be effective with four back there. He gives us a running and a throwing of five starters returning on the offensive line in tackles element back there, which is who we try to be.” Rayden Vice and Carson Touchet, and guards Maddox How we see it Primeaux and Jesse Landry. The new starter, center Andrew VC began the 2025 season with a 1-4 record, Lopez, is the largest lineman at although the Screamin’ Eagles earned a win over 6-foot, 210 pounds. He’ll also play Loreauville, which won its Class 2A district. linebacker on defense after his family The Eagles won three of their next four before losing a moved into the area last year. one-point game to district rival Westminster Christian“Maddox Primeaux is our workhorse,” Lafayette and dropping the playoff opener to Kentwood. coach Broc Prejean said. “He’s The schedule is tougher this year in the new district. probably our hardest worker on the Highland Baptist and Gueydan, two easy wins last Prejean team, a max effort player who is a season, are not playing a full district schedule and gritty example of what we need.” won’t face VC. The secondary returns three starters in senior Jacob Reigning champ Ascension Episcopal and WCAdubois, and juniors Tre Hebert and Ty LeBlanc. Lafayette remain in the league, which added division “The back end of our defense is one thing that’s a IV nonselect frontrunner Jeanerette, Central Catholic, proven commodity,” Prejean said. “They’ve had some Centerville and Hanson Memorial. live bullets coming at them on Friday nights. We’re Opelousas Catholic, Breaux Bridge, Erath and going to lean heavy on those guys.” reigning state champion Riverside Academy have been Hebert started at cornerback as a freshman on the replaced on the nondistrict schedule with Catholic of state championship team and has excellent size at Pointe Coupee and Welsh. 6-3, 185 pounds. The Eagles, who finished 4-7 last season and earned “you can’t teach that,” Prejean said of Hebert’s a No. 22 playoff seed, open the season again against measurables. “He walked in as a freshman, and when Catholic New Iberia. you told him how you wanted something done, he’d Outside of a couple of district games where VC will mirror that action over and over until he got it right.” be a heavy favorite, the schedule is tough. Catholic PC beat WCA-Lafayette in the second round of the 2025 What we don’t know playoffs and lost a 50-42 game to division IV select Hebert is the only returning starter among the runner-up Ascension Catholic in the quarterfinals. offensive skill players, although Cruz Hebert got valuable reps at center as a freshman and is back after With a stellar secondary and three returning starters on the defensive line, the linebacking corps could hold missing last year with an injury. Cruz Hebert will move to receiver and play linebacker the key. Senior Kohen Hebert is a returning starter on the unit and will be an X-factor at tight end, a position on defense. LeBlanc and sophomore Beckett Brantley will replace Prejean loves to utilize.

What we know

departed seniors Luke McLain and William Simon at running back and quarterback.

Maddox Primeaux OL/LB, 5-11, 195, Jr. VC has a large junior class (13 starters), and Primeaux leads both by example and with his voice. A returning starter on offense and defense, he’ll head up a group of linebackers that will make it tough to run on the Screamin’ Eagles. Ty LeBlanc RB/DB, 5-9, 160, Jr. LeBlanc, who got meaningful reps on the state championship team as a defensive back, will roam the field at free safety. He also will be the feature back on offense. He may have the best speed on the team and should give the Eagles some breakaway runs. Beckett Brantley QB, 6-1, 175, So. Prejean said his quarterback continues to improve each week and pick up more nuances of the position. In the early going, Brantley and LeBlanc are expected to run the ball often behind a veteran offensive line.

Mike Coppage

SCOREBOARD Holes-in-one Brandon Black

Course: Baton Rouge Country Club Hole: No.3 Yardage: 127 yards Club: Pitching Wedge Witnesses: Lee Jenkins, Tom Moore, Chris Prudhomme

Jim Scarton

Course: Santa Maria Hole: No. 2 Club: 8 Iron Witnesses: Brent Lambert, Roger Camp

UNDERDOG Colorado at N.Y METS at ATLANTA at ARIZONA at SAN DIEGO at SAN FRAN

LINE OFF +136 +129 -110 -107 -109

LINE OFF OFF -119

UNDERDOG Boston Baltimore at SEATTLE

LINE OFF OFF -104

WNBA Glance EASTERN CONFERENCE

Sports Betting Line NFL Thursday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at BUFFALO 1½ 1½ (35½) Pittsburgh at LAS VEGAS 2½ 1½ (37½) San Fran New England 1½ 2½ (34½) at CLE at CHARGERS 3½ 4½ (38½) LA Rams FAVORITE at BAL Atlanta Houston Tampa Bay NY Giants Arizona at DALLAS at PHILA at K.C. at DENVER

OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 2½ 3½ (35½)Washington 3 4½ (36½) at MIAMI 1½ 2½ (35½) at CAR 1½ 1½ (35½) at JAX 2½ 3 (37½) at NY JETS 1½ 2½ (37½) at G.B. 3½ 1½ (38½) New Orlns 2½ 2½ (36½) Cincinnati 1½ 1½ (36½) Seattle 4½ 6½ (39½) Minnesota

FAVORITE at IND at TEN

OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG 1½ 3½ (36) Detroit 1½ 3 (36½) Chicago

Saturday

LINE OFF -166 -157 -112 -115 -113

Pro basketball

Odds

Friday

FAVORITE at WASH Milwaukee LA Dodgers Chicago Cubs Pittsburgh Cincinnati Interleague FAVORITE at MIAMI at ST. LOUIS Philadelphia

College Football Saturday

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG at TCU 6½ 7½ (47½) N. Carolina at USC 35½ 38½ (60½) San Jose St at VIRGINIA 5½ 5½ (53½) NC State at NDSU 8½ 6½ (46½) Jaxville St. at E. MICHIGN 7½ 9½ (52½) Sac. St. at STANFORD 3½ 5½ (49½) Hawaii at FSU 30½ 31½ (53½)New Mex St at UNLV 3½ 5½ (57½) Memphis

MLB

Tuesday

American League FAVORITE LINE Tampa Bay -134 at N.Y YANKEES -146 at TORONTO -123 Texas -115 Cleveland -140 Minnesota -154 National League

UNDERDOG at DETROIT Houston Kansas City at WHITE SOX at LA ANGELS at ATHLETICS

LINE +110 +119 +100 -107 +115 +126

x-Atlanta x-Indiana x-New York x-Washington Chicago Toronto Connecticut

W 24 25 23 22 15 11 9

L 13 14 15 15 23 26 27

Pct GB .649 — .641 — .605 1½ .595 2 .395 9½ .297 13 .250 14½

x-Minnesota x-Golden State x-Las Vegas Dallas Portland Los Angeles Phoenix Seattle

W 31 25 26 22 15 13 13 7

L 7 11 13 16 22 24 24 31

Pct GB .816 — .694 5 .667 5½ .579 9 .405 15½ .351 17½ .351 17½ .184 24

WESTERN CONFERENCE

x-clinched playoff spot Sunday’s Games

Dallas 92, Seattle 70 Las Vegas 88, Toronto 78 Indiana 113, Chicago 90 Washington 105, Portland 100

Monday’s Games

Golden State at Minnesota, n Atlanta at Los Angeles, n

69 74

.469 .439

7 11

Houston Texas Seattle Los Angeles Athletics

W 65 65 62 52 51

L 66 66 69 79 80

Pct .496 .496 .473 .397 .389

GB — — 3 13 14

West Division

Sunday’s Games

Tampa Bay 3, Baltimore 1 N.Y. Yankees 8, Toronto 3 Chicago White Sox 2, N.Y. Mets 1 Kansas City 11, Detroit 7 Texas 5, L.A. Angels 3 Athletics 7, Houston 6 Boston 5, San Francisco 4 Cleveland 7, Colorado 2 San Diego 8, Minnesota 1 Chicago Cubs 19, Seattle 2

American League Tampa Bay New York Boston Toronto Baltimore

L 53 56 59 68 68

Pct .592 .569 .546 .485 .481

GB — 3 6 14 14½

Chicago Cleveland Minnesota

W 68 65 63

L 62 66 68

Pct .523 .496 .481

GB — 3½ 5½

Tuesday’s Games

Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

W 76 73 67 61 59

L 55 58 64 71 72

Pct .580 .557 .511 .462 .450

GB — 3 9 15½ 17

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Pittsburgh Cincinnati

W 81 75 66 63 62

L 50 56 66 69 69

Pct .618 .573 .500 .477 .473

GB — 6 15½ 18½ 19

Pct .611 .542 .527 .400

GB — 9 11 27½

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco

W 80 71 69 52

L 51 60 62 78

.385

29½

Philadelphia 6, St. Louis 4 Miami 6, Washington 2 Chicago White Sox 2, N.Y. Mets 1 Boston 5, San Francisco 4 Cleveland 7, Colorado 2 L.A. Dodgers 4, Pittsburgh 0 San Diego 8, Minnesota 1 Arizona 5, Cincinnati 3 Chicago Cubs 19, Seattle 2 Atlanta at Milwaukee, 6:10 p.m.

Tuesday’s Games

Boston (Tolle 8-6) at Miami (TBD), 5:40 p.m. Tampa Bay (Seymour 9-4) at Detroit (Jobe 1-1), 5:40 p.m. Houston (Pecko 0-0) at N.Y. Yankees (Warren 8-6), 6:05 p.m. Kansas City (Lugo 5-7) at Toronto (Scherzer 1-6), 6:07 p.m. Texas (deGrom 9-8) at Chicago White Sox (Kay 9-6), 6:40 p.m. Baltimore (Bassitt 4-4) at St. Louis (Liberatore 5-11), 6:45 p.m. Cleveland (Williams 12-7) at L.A. Angels (Ureña 8-9), 8:38 p.m. Minnesota (Bradley 9-5) at Athletics (Jump 5-8), 8:40 p.m. Philadelphia (Nola 5-9) at Seattle (Kirby 8-10), 8:40 p.m.

West Division

Sunday’s Games

Boston at Miami, n Colorado at Washington, n Chicago Cubs at Arizona, n Philadelphia at Seattle, n Pittsburgh at San Diego, n Cincinnati at San Francisco, n

Boston at Miami, n Tampa Bay at Detroit, n Texas at Chicago White Sox, n Cleveland at L.A. Angels,n Minnesota at Athletics, n Philadelphia at Seattle, n

Central Division

W 77 74 71 64 63

Colorado

Monday’s Games

East Division

Pro baseball

Central Division

61 58

National League

Tuesday’s Games

Chicago at Connecticut, 6 p.m. Portland at Dallas, 7 p.m. Washington at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

East Division

Detroit Kansas City

Boston (Tolle 8-6) at Miami (TBD), 5:40 p.m. Colorado (Freeland 4-10) at Washington (Alvarez 2-5), 5:45 p.m. Milwaukee (Harrison 10-3) at N.Y. Mets (Thornton 3-4), 6:10 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Glasnow 3-0) at Atlanta (Elder 8-7), 6:15 p.m. Baltimore (Bassitt 4-4) at St. Louis (Liberatore 5-11), 6:45 p.m. Chicago Cubs (Holmes 5-6) at Arizona (Pfaadt 7-1), 8:40 p.m. Philadelphia (Nola 5-9) at Seattle (Kirby 8-10), 8:40 p.m. Pittsburgh (Skenes 9-11) at San Diego (King 8-9), 8:40 p.m. Cincinnati (Singer 5-11) at San Francisco (Roupp 7-13), 8:45 p.m.

Pro football NFL Glance Thursday’s Games

Las Vegas 22, Houston 20 San Francisco 41, L.A. Chargers 17 Friday’s Games N.Y. Jets 17, Pittsburgh 0 Carolina 34, Jacksonville 17 Green Bay 33, Denver 13

Saturday’s Games

Detroit 17, Washington 13 Atlanta 34, Indianapolis 6 Baltimore 13, Minnesota 3 Buffalo 31, Cleveland 7 L.A. Rams 34, New Orleans 0 N.Y. Giants 26, Miami 3 Cincinnati 27, Chicago 9 New England 24, Philadelphia 21 Tampa Bay 16, Kansas City 15 Dallas 34, Arizona 13

Sunday’s Games

Tennessee 19, Seattle 16

Thursday, Aug. 27

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 6 p.m. New England at Cleveland, 7 p.m. San Francisco at Las Vegas, 7 p.m. L.A. Rams at L.A. Chargers, 9 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 28

Washington at Baltimore, 5 p.m. Atlanta at Miami, 6 p.m. Houston at Carolina, 6 p.m. N.Y. Giants at N.Y. Jets, 6:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Jacksonville, 6:30 p.m. Arizona at Green Bay, 7 p.m. Cincinnati at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. New Orleans at Dallas, 7 p.m. Seattle at Kansas City, 7 p.m. Minnesota at Denver, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 29

Detroit at Indianapolis, noon Chicago at Tennessee, 5 p.m.

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League NEW YORK YANKEES — Optioned RHP Brendan Beck to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL). National League ATLANTA BRAVES — Recalled RF Brewer Hicklen from Gwinnett (IL). Optioned Hicklen and SS Jim Jarvis to Gwinnett. COLORADO ROCKIES — Placed LHP Kyle Freeland on the 15-day IL retroactive to Aug. 21. Selected the contract of RHP Blake Adams from Albuquerque (PCL). MILWAUKEE BREWERS — Optioned C Bo Naylor to Nashville (IL).

FOOTBALL

National Football League CINCINNATI BENGALS — Released OT Cody Ford. CLEVELAND BROWNS — Reinstated DT Maliek Collins from the active/PUP list. Waived CB Tyron Herring from injured reserve and TE Dae’Quan Wright. HOUSTON TEXANS — Signed RB Deuce Vaughn, LB Caleb Johnson and S George Odum. Released WR Juwann Winfree. Waived WR Jha’Quan Jackson. Waived/injured LB Marte Mapu. LOS ANGELES RAMS — Signed CB Steven Gilmore and OLB Devean Deal. Reinstated OL Justin Dedich from the active/PUP list. Placed CB Zech McPhearson and OLB Keir Thomas II on injured reserve. Waived/injured LB Daniel Rickert. MIAMI DOLPHINS — Signed TE Ethan Conner and ILB Jaheim Thomas. Waived C Jim Bonifas and CB Ahmari Harvey. MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Signed TE Matt Lauter and DL Jonathan Harris. Waived/injured CB Tyreek Chappell and DL Taki Taimani. PITTSBURGH STEELERS — Reinstated CB Jalen Ramsey from the active/PUP list. Signed CB Jaylon Guilbeau and RB Alex Tecza. Placed DB Israel Mukuamu on injured reserve.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer MINNESOTA UNITED — Signed F Maurice Malone to a contract through the 2029-30 season with a club option for 2030-31.

LIVING

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

T u e s d ay, au g u s T 25, 2026

5CN

Made in the shade

Spiral gingers brighten La. summer gardens Tropical plants feel right at home in the hot, humid conditions we encounter during Louisiana summers. Native to regions near the equator, these plants combine the ability to endure our climate with bold foliage and colorful blooms. In Louisiana, some of our most reliable tropical plants are gingers — and gardeners have many varieties to choose from. One group that does espeGARDEN cially well here NEWS is the Costaceae family, whose members are more commonly known as spiral, or corkscrew, gingers. These plants get their name from the way their glossy, green leaves grow: in a stepped pattern that swirls around stems, resembling a spiral staircase. The foliage tends to burn in full sun, so spiral gingers prefer being planted in partially to fully shaded locations. That’s a real advantage. It can be a challenge to find plants that perform in low-light settings, and spiral gingers’ unique, lush texture does wonders to bring life to these areas. Color is another thing that can be hard to come by in the shade. Spiral gingers do their part with flowers of various colors that emerge from the sides of large, cone-shaped structures. Plants usually produce one to two new flowers per day over an extended bloom season. The tubular form and bright colors of the flowers make spiral gingers particularly attractive to hummingbirds and other pollinators. One of the most popular spiral gingers is Costus spicatus, which has red-orange cones and flowers. It reaches 3 to 5 feet tall. Another beloved selection from the Costaceae family is Hellenia speciosa. This ginger gets taller, often growing to 6 feet tall, and makes a visual statement with its deep red cones and showy, white flowers. It’s sometimes called crepe ginger because the flowers have a wrinkled texture reminiscent of crepe paper or fabric. Costus spicatus and Hellenia speciosa are both root hardy to zone 8b, so they can be grown successfully throughout Louisiana. Their foliage will die back during a freeze, but the roots will stay alive and send out new growth when warmer temperatures return. Keep in mind that these are ornamental gingers, not the culinary type — so their roots are not edible.

LSU AGCENTER PHOTO By OLIVIA MCCLURE

Spiral gingers have leaves that form a spiral staircase-like pattern.

designer Jerad Gardemal says that national color trends are steering toward warmer, nature-inspired palettes.

THE LIGHT STUFF

designers weigh in on colors and how living in Louisiana affects choices for homes BY JAN RISHER and LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writers

The colors of a Louisiana life are vastly different than the coastal light in Maine, or the long shadows of the mountains in Montana. Things are warmer, softer and less predictable than the stark whites and navy blues that dominated for years. When it comes to redecorating, a fresh coat of paint is likely the best return on investment. The cost is minimal, but the results can improve the looks of a room dramatically. That is — if the paint is the right color. This is part two of the newspaper’s color trends series, where we asked four Louisiana designers to share their thoughts on colors in Louisiana homes right now: How does Baton Rouge’s light and architecture change what works here versus what’s trending nationally? Jerad Gardemal — founder and principal designer at JF Gardemal Designs: Nationally, we’re seeing a strong shift toward warmer, nature-inspired palettes. Browns, olive greens, clay tones and warm neutrals are replacing the cool grays and saturated whites that have

Cannon

Davis

Gardemal

Petit

dominated the past several years. This trend feels especially appropriate for Baton Rouge. Our warm, abundant natural light intensiﬁes colors, so shades that appear soft and understated elsewhere can become much more vibrant here. Combined with our region’s rich architectural heritage, the colors naturally favor warm, organic colors over cooler palettes. We don’t follow the trend as much as adapt it to our speciﬁc environment, creating homes that feel authentic to South Louisiana.

Rachel Cannon — founder, creative director and principal interior designer at Rachel Cannon Limited: Excellent question, because there is a difference. Baton Rouge doesn’t have the bright, bouncy coastal light or the high rise glass towers that we’ve designed in other markets, so I ﬁnd myself having to rely heavily on my training in the science of color and lighting to get paint to do what I want it to do in our clients’ homes. If I could urge homeowners to do just one thing, it would be to add windows anywhere they possibly can, including powder rooms and closets. Natural light changes everything. Kristina Petit — founder and residential designer at Kristina’s Collective Interiors: Baton Rouge and New Orleans have very southern, Spanish-style architecture often times, which lends itself (in my opinion) to warmer, more European colors versus modern cool tones. Are there any specific color pairings you’re noticing this year? Petit: I’m loving and seeing more chartreuse and red. Not necessarily together, but their such fun pops in any space that feel unexpected but really warm up a space.

BR Underground Film Festival ‘bigger and better’ Co-founder Carleton promises more screenings, panels, workshops, parties

PROVIdEd PHOTO

over the course of the four-day event in August 2025, the festival again wll offer feature film and short film screenings, workshops and panel discussions, all opening with a Thursday night gala and blast-from-the-past screening of the edgy, Baton Rouge-shot 1989 indie film “sex, lies, and videoBY JUDY BERGERON Staff writer tape.” Former Baton Rouge filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, who went on to become a Hollywood After a blockbuster inaugural heavyweight (“Ocean’s Eleven,” year, the Baton Rouge Under“Erin Brockovich,” “Traffic”) ground Film Festival makes a helmed the project. second run this weekend at the Here, BRUFF’s co-founder and Manship Theatre. Attracting about 1,800 attendees financial director, Joe Carleton,

BATON ROUGE UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL

WHEN: Thursday-Sunday WHERE: Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. ADMISSION: $20-$75 INFO: batonrougeunderground.com talks about what’s in store for this year’s fest. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. What’s different this year at the film festi-

val, and what have you added? In our first year, we had 150-ish projects submit to the festival, and this year, we had over 400. We whittled it down to 56 short films and nine feature films. We have more screenings, more workshops, more panels, more parties. It’s bigger and better. As far as the film selection, are you looking for something in particular? We’re looking for the stuff that’s underground.

ä See FILM, page 6C

ä See LIGHT, page 6C

Joe Carleton PROVIdEd PHOTO

6C ● Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

STANDING HEAD By The Associated Press

lll

Chatty callers tie up receptionist

Today is Tuesday, Aug. 25, the 237th day of 2026. There are 128 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act, establishing the National Park Service as an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior to maintain the country’s natural and historic wonders and “leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Also on this date: In 1875, Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, crossing from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in under 22 hours. In 1928, an expedition led by Richard E. Byrd set sail from Hoboken, New Jersey, on its journey to Antarctica. In 1944, Paris was liberated by Allied forces after four years of Nazi occupation during World War II. In 1948, in the House UnAmerican Activities Committee’s first televised congressional hearing, Alger Hiss denied charges by Whittaker Chambers that Hiss was a communist involved in espionage. (Hiss was later convicted of perjury and sentenced to five years in prison; he maintained his innocence until his death in 1996.) In 1981, the U.S. spacecraft Voyager 2 came within 63,000 miles of Saturn’s cloud cover, sending back pictures of and data about the ringed planet. In 2001, R&B singer Aaliyah was killed with eight others in a plane crash in the Bahamas; she was 22. In 2012, Neil Armstrong, 82, who commanded the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing and was the first man to set foot on the moon in July 1969, died in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey, the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade, made landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas, with 130 mph sustained winds; the storm would deliver five days of rain totaling close to 52 inches, the heaviest tropical downpour that had ever been recorded in the continental U.S. In 2020, two people were shot to death and a third was wounded as 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle during a third night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake. (Rittenhouse, who was taken into custody in Illinois the next day, said he was defending himself after the three men attacked him as he tried to protect businesses from protesters; he was acquitted on all charges, including homicide.) In 2022, regulators approved California’s plans to require all new cars, trucks and SUVs to run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035. (President Donald Trump signed a resolution in June 2025 blocking California’s plan, prompting a court challenge by the state). Today’s Birthdays: Actor Tom Skerritt is 93. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Wright is 91. Film director John Badham is 87. Baseball Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers is 80. Rock musician Gene Simmons (Kiss) is 77. Rock singer Rob Halford (Judas Priest) is 75. Musician Elvis Costello is 72. Film director Tim Burton is 68. Country musician Billy Ray Cyrus is 65. Actor Blair Underwood is 62. NFL Hall of Famer Cornelius Bennett is 61. DJ Terminator X (Public Enemy) is 59. Singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) is 59. Television chef Rachael Ray is 58. Country singer Jo Dee Messina is 56. Model Claudia Schiffer is 56. NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison is 54. Actor Alexander Skarsgard is 50. Actor Rachel Bilson is 45. Actor Blake Lively is 39. Actor China Anne McClain is 28.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a college student at a small, private art school, and work part-time at the school’s reception desk, receiving and directing phone calls and visitors. When dealing with rude and polite callers alike, I greet them with a pleasant Judith tone and promptly Martin answer their quesMISS tions to the best of MANNERS my ability. What concerns me are the overly chatty callers — those who insist on lengthily greeting me, inquiring about my day, joking around, explaining how they came to realize they needed to call, etc., before ﬁnally reaching the point of the call or giving me the name or extension they want. I understand that they are merely trying to be kind and brighten my day, and I appreciate their friendliness, but often

FILM

ä COMING FRIDAY: Meet sound The film’s often referred to as kind of the start of independent designer, Baton Rouge native cinema. That’s one of the main and fest speaker Mike James reasons why we wanted to showGallagher. case it. It is a really great inspirational piece to show that you can filmmakers that have been makmake something right here. Did you reach out to Steven Soderbergh ing projects locally, so you’ll get about possibly making it to BRUFF? to come and chat with people who We did. He wasn’t able to make are boots on the ground, actively it, but he’s very excited about the going out and making movies, festival and about the screening. which is exciting. Hopefully we can get him to atWe’re also working with Shawtend in future years. scope, which is a company that Tell us about these workshops and panels. promotes literal filmmaking. So We’re partnering with NOVAC shooting analog on film, which is (a video production service in gonna be a really cool workshop, New Orleans) again for a workbecause our participants are gonna be able to come and actushop series where people can get direct interaction with other ally shoot footage on film. Then industry professionals. We’re also Shawscope is gonna process that showcasing a lot of indie feature footage and share it with the at-

Continued from page 5C We’re looking for the stuff that people started with, the oddball stuff, the interesting stuff — the stuff that you’re sitting in your chair one day, and you’re like, “Ah, man, you know what? I think I wanna make something. I’m gonna go out and do it with what I can scrape together with the friends that I’ve got.” It’s the independent spirit, if you will, that we’re looking for. As far as “sex, lies, and videotape,” were you born when that came out? I just Googled it. Yeah, no, that was 1989. I was born in 1997.

I have other callers on hold or visitors waiting at the desk. I patiently wait through the person’s spiel, as I would never dream of interrupting. Is this chatty attitude appropriate for a strictly business call? Or, if so, should it be reserved for the person you have business with, instead of their receptionist? When I make business calls of my own, I tend to politely say hello and ask for the person I need to speak with, of course adding a please and thank you. Am I being too curt, and should I inquire about the person’s day? GENTLE READER: The balance between efﬁciency and pleasantness in doing business seems extremely hard to achieve. Totally ignoring the humanity of both worker and customer is rude, and yet both parties are interested in getting on with whatever the transaction is. Miss Manners remembers when banks started claiming to be their clients’ friends. What this has

led to is mandating employees to start conversations — the current cliché is asking what the client is doing for the rest of the day — that are both intrusive and timeconsuming. Many Gentle Readers have complained to her about this. Yet they would probably appreciate being recognized as returning customers, for example, or just being greeted by someone who is not surly. You are experiencing the reverse of this problem, with callers feeling they must chat you up. Or perhaps, as you are a student, your fellow students think it is an opportunity to make friends. So you must not encourage this by prolonging the small talk. The phrase you want, repeated as often as necessary, is “But tell me how I can help you.” DEAR MISS MANNERS: Does putting “RSVP” on an invitation denote that the recipient is requested to reply no matter whether they are attending or not, or does one

only need to RSVP if they plan to attend? I sent out about 40 invitations and nearly half of the recipients did not send any kind of acknowledgment or response. I assume/ hope they are not coming! I was under the impression that RSVP meant you should indicate your intentions regardless. Is this incorrect? Is there a more clear way to communicate to invitees that the host would appreciate a response even if negative? GENTLE READER: For those who failed high school French, RSVP translates to “please respond,” whether yes or no. Perhaps you would do better putting your request in English. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www. missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

PROVIdEd PHOTO

This project from designer Jeanne Lyons davis includes wallpaper in specific parts of the kitchen, along with painted cabinets and gold hardware.

LIGHT

Continued from page 5C Cannon: I’ve recently become very inspired by an Instagram account called @ art2life_world, led by artist Nicholas Wilton. His videos showing unique color pairings have been a great source for me to pull from in my work, beyond the basic color wheel foundation I learned in design school at LSU. Gardemal: There are a few pairings we really like to share with our clients when working on an initial design discovery presentation. Soft limestone and camel are warm and understated and completely timeless. Terracotta and creamy white are earthy and welcoming. Deep forest green paired with antique gold is rich, elegant and very classic. What’s the color you think we’ll all be sick of in five years? Cannon: I think we’ll be past the butter yellow trend (and other powdery pastels) sooner than that. My prediction is we’ll see a swing toward

Pictured is a project from Louisiana designer Rachel Cannon, who says that she urges homeowners to add windows anywhere they possibly can.

richer tones like butterscotch, rust, forest green, and navy. Trend cycles are all about extremes! Petit: I’m not sure! I love all colors and think the way you use it totally changes the dynamic. Gardemal: If I had to make a prediction, I’d say olive green. It’s a favorite color today because it’s grounded and beautifully connected to nature. But we’re seeing it everywhere from kitchen cabinets to furnishings and textiles. But I always encourage clients to use trendier colors thoughtfully rather than making them a deﬁning feature of a home. The most enduring interiors aren’t built around the color of the moment. They’re built around timeless architecture, beautiful materials and a layered palette that will still feel relevant years from now. Jeanne Lyons Davis, writer and designer: Trend blinders are inevitable, so I try not to chase them. My rule: If you walk into a room and it makes you smile, you’ll still be smiling in ﬁve years. Follow your gut, not the forecast!

PROVIdEd PHOTO By KIM MEAdOWLARK

tendees so that they can see the quality difference of what it’s like to shoot on ﬁlm as opposed to shooting digital. We also have In-Depth Live coming, which includes sound designers that have done a lot of work in Louisiana. They’ve worked on things like “Dune” and larger projects. The workshops are a great opportunity for people who are interested in the industry and want to get into the industry, or even people who are active professionals that just want to learn a new skill or network with people that they know are also working. Do you still need volunteers for the festival? Yes, we do. People can go to batonrougeunderground.com to see

how they can volunteer. If someone is a first-timer to the festival, how do you propose that they tackle this packed schedule? It’s “choose your own adventure,” like most festivals are. My personal favorite thing to do is to take a look at the screenings and see which projects stand out to you. Try and schedule out the movies that you want to see first. As you fill in, as you see that you have time to make space for other events, check out the workshops and panels and things of that nature. The screenings, of course, are the major showcase. We want people to see what’s going on around the area and around the country in film and independent film.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ● 7C

lll

FrAnK And erneSt

roSebUdS

zItS

zodIAC VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Stretch your mind. Engage in activities that make you think, and adopt a routine or lifestyle that encourages you to save, pay attention to detail and take better care of your health. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) A commitment will pay off. Denying something or trying to avoid situations will set you back. Don't run and hide when you should embrace, deal with and correct anything that's run amok. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Distance yourself from situations you cannot change. Set your course on a learning expedition that can help you enhance your earning capacity, but don't overpay for something you don't need. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Refrain from sharing too much information. Someone will be eager to use your news against you if given the opportunity. Focus on home, and make your place one of comfort. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Dig in and get your paperwork in order. What you discover will save you money and put your mind at ease. Refuse to let an outsider tell you what to do. AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Choose kind gestures and a positive attitude. The people you encounter will impact your life and encourage you to follow your heart and to strive for the goals you want to achieve. PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) You'll be drawn into conversations that cause confusion. Trust your instincts over what others

propose. Being true to yourself will lead to activities and people who enrich your life. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Concentrate on your relationships with others. Participate in events or projects that resolve issues that concern you. Expand your interests, circle of friends and desire to look, feel and do your best. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Taking on too much and overreacting will cost you. Source out information before you make a move. Listen carefully, but refrain from divulging your thoughts or plans. GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Take time to rearrange your space to suit your needs. If you start something new without proper preparation, you'll end up wasting valuable time. By learning from experience, you'll fulfill an emotional need. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Be honest with yourself before you start making changes that are detrimental to your reputation, work or concerns. Invest more time and money in your future and better health. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Share your thoughts with the ones you love. The tone you set will have an impact. Positive change begins with a positive attitude and the willingness to compromise when necessary. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY CeLebrItY CIpher Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy's cLuE: W EQuALs c

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

lll

Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday. Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ● 9C

lll

B.C.

Bridge By PHILLIP ALDER Bob Hope said, “If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf.” As you watch the cards closely, you play well and find bridge to be fun. The work is training your partner also to pay close attention. Today’s deal can either be a 50-50 bet or a sure thing, depending upon the skill level of East and West. How should they card to defeat three no-trump? West leads the spade five. Declarer takes East’s king with his ace and attacks diamonds. North added one point for his decent five-card diamond suit and raised to three no-trump. South starts with only five top tricks: two spades (given the first trick) and three clubs. However, four more winners are readily available from the diamonds. So, if East has the diamond ace, the contract is guaranteed. If West has that ace, maybe he will not find a heart shift; or if he does, it will not prove lethal. Here, though, as you can see, if West leads the heart jack, then when he gets in with his diamond ace, the contract can be defeated. But how does West know to lead a heart rather than a club? West should duck the first diamond to get some help from his partner. East

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

should play first the two to show an odd number. But on the second round, he could play either the eight or the three. By following suit with the eight, the higher card, East is expressing interest in the higher-ranking of hearts and clubs, the two unplayed suits. This points West in the right direction — if he is watching. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD — HAyWIRE: HAY-wyer: Being out of order or having gone

Bizarro

marmaduKe

wrong. Average mark 12 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 20 or more words in HAYWIRE? yEstERDAy’s WoRD — LAconIc laic lain lion loan loin calico ciao clan coal coca coil

coin cola colic conic conical oilcan nail icon

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “I say to you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7 If we don’t repent we will not please the Lord. — G.E. Dean

10C ● Tuesday,August 25, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

BUSINESS T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/news/business

DOW 53,417.16 140.15 0.26%

NASDAQ 25,980.19 -200.27 -0.77%

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street drifts at the start of eventful week

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks drifted to a mixed finish Monday as the countdown ticks toward potentially market-moving events coming later in the week. The areas of the bond market that the U.S. Treasury Department is trying to calm down, meanwhile, eased a bit. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% and pulled a bit further from its alltime high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 140 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.8%. Tech stocks led the way downward following big swings through the summer on worries that the frenzy around artificial intelligence technology sent prices too high and that the huge demand for AI chips won’t be sustainable if they don’t produce enough profits. Chip giant Nvidia has been a tremendous winner of the AI boom and become Wall Street’s largest and most influential stock because of it. It will deliver its latest quarterly earnings report on Wednesday, which could dictate the next big move for AI-related stocks. The other big factor moving stocks recently has been the bond market, where longerterm Treasury yields climbed through the summer on worries about high inflation, huge government debts and other factors.

Taiwan charges 9 over illegal AI server exports TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese prosecutors charged nine people Monday, including one from Nvidia and two from Super Micro, for illegally exporting “high-end AI servers” to mainland China, adding another wave of turbulence in the AI rivalry between China and the United States. AI infrastructure, including advanced semiconductors mostly made in Taiwan, has become a key point of competition between the U.S. and China. Washington began imposing restrictions on Nvidia’s exports of advanced chips to China in 2022 and tightened them in subsequent years. In April 2025, the U.S. required licenses for exports of Nvidia’s H20 chips to China, before allowing some sales to resume later that year. Under export controls, any sale by Nvidia of high-end AI servers — the computer infrastructure that houses the chips needed to power AI systems — requires a strict review process, according to a document from Keelung District Prosecutors’ office in Taiwan. The document also said purchases of more than eight high-end AI servers require company staff to conduct on-site checks to the clients.

Britain wants videos removed after deaths LONDON — Britain’s government Monday urged TikTok and other social media companies to take down viral videos “celebrating” dangerous driving, after two police officers and five young men were killed in a crash when a car was driven down the wrong side of the road. Officers Matthew Blades and Tom Clough were killed Saturday when a Volkswagen was driven the wrong way along a road in northeastern England and hit their vehicle. Five people in the car — three boys who were 17 and 18 years old and two men, both 23 — were also pronounced dead at the scene. The collision took place as concerns grow over social media videos showing people driving dangerously on purpose, posted by the drivers themselves or others inside the vehicles at the time. British media reports suggest that one of the people who died in the Volkswagen on Saturday may have previously posted such a video. U.K. Defense Minister Luke Pollard said the government has told TikTok and similar platforms to “step up” and remove such “awful content.”

S&P 500 7,652.86 -21.51 -0.28%

EURO 1.1663 -0.0023 -0.20%

CRUDE OIL 85.01 -2.05 -2.35%

GOLD 4,640.80 16.70 0.36%

6-MO T-BILLS 3.93 0.01 0.26%

30-YR T-BONDS 5.23 -0.04 -0.8%

U.S. wants its booze back in Canada’s stores

as an American assault on the Premier Tony Wakeham. However, we should continue to do that.” But some leaders say see Canadian economy, won’t encour- the country’s two most populous reKinew attacked Trump at length, age consumers to end their person- gions, Ontario and Quebec, had yet saying: “You can’t get a good deal not to buy it to publicly conﬁrm their positions with a bad person.” al boycotts of U.S. goods.

BY THOMAS SEAL

Canada’s provincial governments control alcohol distribution, and most of them have blocked U.S. Prime Minister Mark Carney wine and spirits for more than has asked Canada’s provinces to a year in retaliation for Trump’s end their bans on the retail sale tariffs. For U.S. winemakers and of U.S. alcoholic beverages. It’s a distillers, it has been a disaster for necessary step in getting a trade export sales. The White House has deal with President Donald Trump demanded the booze go back on the shelves. across the ﬁnish line. All of Canada’s provincial leaders The response so far indicates he’s succeeding — but some provincial agreed to Carney’s request, accordpoliticians, still angry at what they ing to Newfoundland and Labrador

Bloomberg News (TNS)

by Thursday. Two premiers said a consumer boycott of U.S. alcohol might continue anyway. One of them explicitly encouraged it. “What I would say to Canadians is: leave it there,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said. “Let it sit on the shelf where the Liquor Mart employees will be putting it, and buy the Canadian stuff instead. We’ve done an amazing job sticking together in the face of Donald Trump’s tariff threats, and I think

But the Manitoba leader said Carney told premiers that any U.S. trade truce hinges on booze being returned. “I wouldn’t say that he was begging us — but what is the step before begging?” A survey by the Angus Reid Institute in July asked Canadians whether they would consider buying U.S. wine, beer and spirits if a trade agreement was reached; 40% said “definitely not” and another 19% said “probably not.”

U.S. reopens border for Mexican cattle imports to reduce beef costs

Screwworm concerns lessen but economists don’t expect prices to go down BY JOHN HANNA and SARAH RAZA Associated Press

The U.S. reopened a border crossing in Arizona to cattle from Mexico on Monday as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce record-high beef prices, though economists doubt the move will mean much to grocery store shoppers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said concerns about the New World screwworm’s spread lessened enough to allow the movement of cattle from Mexico at a crossing in Douglas, Arizona, about 230 miles southeast of Phoenix. Over time, it hopes to reopen other crossings in New Mexico and Texas. “Today, the border in Sonora is open for livestock,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during a Monday morning news conference in Mexico City, referring to the Mexican state bordering Arizona. Beef prices clearly are a concern for President Donald Trump, who announced Friday that he would allow up to 331,000 tons of imported ground beef into the U.S., tariff-free, to be sold at below-market prices over the next 90 days. In February, the White House said closing the border to livestock imports from Mexico more than a year ago was “essential” to containing the screwworm but it has exacerbated a shortage of cattle for slaughter in the U.S. “The administration obviously has a lot of incentive to try to be able to say that they’re doing something about high beef prices in particular,” said Derrell Peel, a professor of agribusiness at Oklahoma State University. “Beef has been singled out because it is an expensive product and because it’s just high profile.” The Trump administration closed the border to cattle imports in May 2025 as part of its response to the screwworm, a parasite with flesh-eating larvae that can infest and even kill cattle or other animals. The move came as the U.S. already was struggling to meet beef demand, thanks to a cattle herd that has been shrinking for five years and now is the smallest in decades. Because the USDA plans a phased reopening of the border, it will take months for Mexican imports to return to their traditional levels, Peel said. Mexico has traditionally provided 1.1 million head, or about 3% of the U.S. cattle supply.

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By FERNANdO LLANO

Cows are fenced in before being displayed at a cattle auction in Hermosillo, Sonora state, Mexico. “I don’t expect to see any measurable impact on cattle prices or beef prices soon,” Peel said. The USDA reported that on Jan. 1, the U.S. cattle herd had dropped to 86.2 million head, the lowest figure in 75 years. Beef prices skyrocketed over the past five years, rising significantly faster than food prices as a whole, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average price of a pound of ground beef rose nearly 57% from July 2021 to July 2026, from $4.39 to $6.89 — hitting a peak of $6.90 in May — with a 10% increase over the previous year. Food prices have risen about 25% overall in those five years, according to the bureau’s numbers. The price for a pound of uncooked steak rose 35% over the past five years, reaching a record $13.06 per pound in July, also 10% higher than a year before. But Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, said the potential effect on beef prices from the smaller supply of cattle was lessened because the U.S. beef industry is more efficient and has been able to get more meat from each animal than in past years. U.S. government and industry officials view the New World screwworm fly as a major threat to the nation’s $113 billion cattle industry. It was an annual warm-weather scourge for U.S. ranchers from at least the

1930s through the 1960s, until the U.S. largely eradicated it. The fly was contained for years near the Panama Canal, but returned to southern Mexico in late 2024 and advanced toward the U.S., with the first case in Texas since 1966 reported June 3. Since then, more than 40 cases have been confirmed in southern Texas and southeastern New Mexico, with infestations of cattle, sheep, goats and dogs. In her July announcement of plans for a phased reopening of the border, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said it was possible to start with an Arizona crossing because the northern Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua had stronger animal health programs than other parts of Mexico. She also said each animal would be inspected and declared free of the parasite before crossing the border. U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman said the USDA is taking a “careful, science-based” approach to reopening the border and imposing strong animal health protocols. “This is an important step for America’s cattle producers, especially our feeders in the border states,” Boozman, an Arkansas Republican, said in a statement. “Restoring this long-standing trade is critical to strengthening our cattle supply and supporting a healthy, competitive beef industry.”

Buc-ee’s draws outcry in fight over a mini mart’s beaver logo Gas station giant accuses Ohio store of infringement BY JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press

BEAVERCREEK, Ohio — A lip-licking alligator, a smiling moose and a hat-wearing bear are among the many cartoon animals to have found themselves in the crosshairs of Buc-ee’s, the popular Texas convenience store chain that has a penchant for protecting its bucktoothed beaver. But now Buc-ee’s has set off a Buckeye backlash across Ohio and beyond after taking on a beaver in the city of Beavercreek. It’s yet another Buc-ee’s Ltd. trademark infringement lawsuit. Supporters of Beaver’s Mini Mart have attacked Buc-ee’s online and boycotted the stores, and the mini mart’s home city passed a resolution making the beaver an ofﬁcial

ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By JULIE CARR SMyTH

The Beaver’s Mini Mart mascot is the target of Buc-es, saying it closely resembling the chain’s branded ‘Bucky’ beaver.

part of its history. British comedian John Oliver has even weighed in on the kerfufﬂe. On an episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” the comedian detailed Buc-ee’s aggressive history of trademark lawsuits targeting various woodland creatures and launched a website hawking

merchandise bearing a knockoff “Buc-off” logo and a squirrel mascot named Mr. Nutterbutter. On X, #boycottbucees trended. Buc-ee’s sued Beaver’s Mini Mart in late July, four months after the chain known for its extensive food offerings and massive restrooms opened its first Ohio store less than a half-hour’s drive away. Buc-ee’s argues the shop’s beaver logo too closely resembles the convenience store giant’s branded Buc-ee (“Bucky”) beaver. The Texas-based company asked for a jury trial in federal court in Ohio. Beaver’s Mini Mart occupies a long, low building with a shingle roof at a suburban intersection. In contrast, the new 74,000-squarefoot Buc-ee’s off Interstate 70 near Dayton has more than 100 gas pumps, 24 electric vehicle chargers and 700 parking spaces. A second Ohio store has been approved to open in 2028. While preparing to enter the state in February, Buc-ee’s sued

the northern Ohio holding company for Mickey Mart gas stations, arguing its Mickey the Moose logo could be confused with Bucee. (The company’s response: “A moose is not a beaver.”) The Buc-ee’s beaver logo features the face of a beaver with prominent buck teeth wearing a red ball cap against a yellow backdrop. The Beaver’s Mini Mart mascot is a full beaver, unclothed, waving and smiling against a white background. Customers have been critical of Buc-ee’s decision to target the much smaller store. “I love Buc-ee’s, but I don’t plan on going back until they start making better business decisions,” Austin Collins, 32, a project manager from Fairborn, said outside Beaver’s, where he was making his ﬁrst visit to protest the lawsuit. He called targeting a beavernamed business in Beavercreek “a little spiteful.” License plates from three states were visible in the parking lot.